







Book /-v4- Y 


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This was the residence of Jesus during his youth and young manhood, and is to-day a Christian and Moslem town 
of about six thousand inhabitants, on a mountain plateau. The site of the attempted precipitation of Christ (Luke 4: 29) is 
probably the low cliff above the town. 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE 
BIBLE 


BY 


REVEREND FRANK T. LEE 

>i 

AUTHOR OP 

“POPULAR MISCONCEPTIONS AS TO CHRISTIAN FAITH AND LIFE,” 
AND “BIBLE STUDY POPULARIZED” 





THE JOHN C. WINSTON CO. 
PHILADELPHIA 




c 



LIBRARY Of CONotfftSS! 


I wo Oooies nee. 

AUG ,201808 



Copyright, 1908 
by Frank T. Lee 


To My Cousin 
Mrs. Mary Ruth Osgood. 



EOKEWOED 



HILE the Bible may truly be said to be an 


▼ T 4 exhaustless book, at the same time it is not 
impossible for the ordinary Bible student, by some 
well-devised and perseveringly followed plan, in a 
comparatively short time to gain an intelligent ac- 
quaintance with its contents — the history which it 
contains, its biography, its poetic and didactic sec- 
tions, its spiritual teachings. The facilities for ef- 
fective study of the sacred Word were never better 
than they are to-day. There has been great advance, 
during recent years, along all lines of Biblical re- 
search, the results of which are easily available. 
The revision of the old King James’ Version, with 
its numerous antiquated words and expressions, has 
materially aided in making plain not a few obscure 
passages. Especially has the emphasis which has 
been laid upon the importance and the necessity, 
in order to an intelligent understanding of the Bi- 
ble, of studying it historically, or in its historical 
settings — i. e. in the light of the particular cir- 
cumstances in which its different books, even many 
separate passages, were written — done much to 
throw light upon its meaning. This is particularly 


m 


IV 


FOREWORD 


the case with the prophetic books of the Old Testa- 
ment and the epistles of the New. In this way the 
Bible has come to be a new book to many, and a 
fresh interest in its study has been awakened. 

In addition, however, to a direct study of the 
Bible, or to the instruction which is essential to a 
comprehensive understanding of its structure and 
contents, there are various sidelights upon the 
Scriptures which may be studied to advantage. By 
this means many Scriptural allusions, whose sig- 
nificance is not immediately obvious, are made 
clear. Such a knowledge, for instance, of Bible 
geography, as would enable one readily to locate in 
thought any important locality referred to, would 
impart an added interest and sense of reality to the 
sacred Word, and help to throw light upon not a 
few Scripture passages. The same is true with 
reference to the physical features of Palestine, its 
climate and vegetation, which do not materially 
change from age to age. It is instructive and help- 
ful to one’s confidence in the Scriptures, to note the 
perfect harmony which exists between the country 
as it now is, and the descriptions of it given by the 
sacred writers two or three thousands of years ago. 
Or take the manners and customs of Bible times: 
there is hardly a page in the sacred Word which 
does not allude to one or more of them. Yet these 
customs were mostly so different from our own in 
this western world, that some acquaintance with 


FOREWORD 


V 


them is essential to a clear understanding of the 
Scriptures. Without such knowledge, indeed, not 
a little in the Bible would he meaningless to us. 
Again, the Bible is full of figures and illustrations. 
Christ in particular made constant use of them, 
drawing them from every source. An understand- 
ing of the facts and usages upon which these illus- 
trations are based would illumine whole classes of 
Scripture passages. Consider also what light has 
been thrown upon the historic portions of the Bible 
by recent discoveries in the valleys of the Nile and 
the Euphrates, and by the decipherment of hiero- 
glyphic and cuneiform inscriptions which have been 
preserved from the remotest past. By the inciden- 
tal references of the latter to Scripture persons, 
places, and events, many of the statements of the 
Bible have been confirmed, others have been sup- 
plemented, and a background of reality has been fur- 
nished for not a few of the Biblical narrations. 
Moreover, some knowledge of New Testament back- 
ground is requisite to a full understanding of it. 
If, in addition to these sources of information, one 
has been privileged oneself to visit Bible lands, to 
look upon the scenes of Bible events, and to see 
these customs as they are still illustrated in the com- 
mon life of the people, the Bible will ever after be 
to him a new hook, from the new sense of its reality 
which he will thus have gained. 

A few of these sidelights upon the Bible, treated 


VI 


FOREWORD 


with sufficient fulness in each case to illumine the 
more prominent Scripture passages to which they 
relate, and to give to the ordinary Bible student 
a glimpse into the wide field of investigation to 
which they introduce him, are herewith presented. 
The aim has been to provide in brief and inexpen- 
sive form an epitome of the essential facts con- 
tained in the numerous, often elaborate treatises on 
these subjects. So extensive is this literature that 
comparatively few, even of the well-equipped libra- 
ries, contain all the standard works of this char- 
acter. It is hoped that this book may not only 
prove interesting in itself and helpful in clearing 
up many otherwise obscure passages and allusions 
in the sacred Word, but also tend to stimulate to a 
broader and more intelligent study of the entire 
Bible. 


F. T. L. 


TABLE OF CONTENTS 


Foreword iii 

CHAP. I. BIBLE GEOGRAPHY 1 


1. The Old Testament World. 

3. Palestine. 

4. Jerusalem. 

CHAP. II. HARMONY OF THE LAND AND THE 

BOOK 33 

1. Physical Features of Palestine — 

Mountains, Plains, Seas. 

2. Sites of Cities and Towns. Ruins. 

3. Climate and Vegetation. 

4. Bible Lands Outside of Palestine. 

CHAP. III. MANNERS AND CUSTOMS .... 63 

1. Houses. 

2. Cities and Villages. 

3. Agriculture. 

4. Vineyards. 

5. Shepherds. 

6. Domestic Life. 

7. Dress. 

CHAP. IV. CHRIST’S ILLUSTRATIONS .... 97 

1. From Domestic, Social, Civil Life. 

2. From Occupations of the People. 

3. From Nature. 

4. From Religious Observances. 

5. Miscellaneous Sources. 

6. The Parables, — Purpose, Interpre- 

tation, Illustrative Examples. 


TABLE OF CONTENTS 


CHAP. V. LIGHT FROM THE MONUMENTS . . 134 

1. Egypt and its Hieroglyphic Rec- 

ords. 

2. Ruins Uncovered in Mesopotamia 

and Babylonia. 

3. Cuneiform Inscriptions and Their 

Interpretation. 

4. Excavations in Palestine and 

Countries Adjacent. 

CHAP. VI. NEW TESTAMENT BACKGROUND . . 168 

1. The Historical Situation. 

2. Political Conditions in Palestine. 

3. The Mosaic Law and Institutions. 

4. Religious Life and Hopes of the 

People. 

5. Apostolic Times. 

CHAP. VII. VISITING THE LANDS OF THE BIBLE 216 

1. On the Way. 

2. Crossing the Apostle’s Track. 

3. In Palestine, the Scene of 

Christ’s Life and Work. 

4. In Syria. Lebanon Mountains, 

Baalbek, Damascus. 

5. View from Mount Hermon. 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


CHAPTER I 

BIBLE GEOGRAPHY 

W E all know how much a knowledge of the 
geography of a country helps to an intelli- 
gent understanding of the events which are trans- 
piring within it. When reports of wars in Cuba, 
in the Philippines, in South Africa, in China, or 
between Japan and Russia in Manchuria, were ac- 
companied by maps on which the places referred to 
and the position of contending forces were desig- 
nated, we were greatly aided in grasping the situa- 
tion and our interest was correspondingly enhanced. 
It is the same when we read of plague-, or famine- 
smitten districts in India, of massacres in Turkey 
or Russia, of explorations in the Dark Continent 
or in the frozen regions north or south, of the stra- 
tegic position of the Hawaiian Islands, of the Pan- 
ama Canal matters, of the wreck of an ocean 
steamer, or of transactions of importance in any 
part of the world. Ho matter how well informed in 
general one may be in regard to the geography of 
1 


2 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


any land, it is always helpful, refreshing to the 
memory, to he able, when there is occasion, at once 
to glance at a map. Newspapers recognize this 
and aim promptly to provide needed helps of this 
character. A book of travels nowadays without 
accompanying maps and diagrams would be re- 
garded as unpardonably incomplete. 

It is the same in our study of the events of the 
past. Ancient history would lose much of its charm 
without illustrative maps. For an intelligent 
study of the migration of Abraham, the wanderings 
in the wilderness, the conquest of Canaan, the 
exile and the return, the movements of our Savior, 
or the missionary journeys of the great apostle, 
maps are indispensable. Geography and history 
are closely connected. Each throws light upon the 
other. Efforts to awaken interest in the Bible, or 
to popularize it, whether made in the home, in the 
classroom, or from the pulpit, will not reach the full 
measure of success if they neglect the maps which 
modern scholarship has provided, or the photo- 
graphs or other views which give such vividness to 
Biblical scenes and incidents. Nazareth, Bethle- 
hem, Mount Tabor, the Sea of Galilee, the Jordan, 
or Jerusalem, may in this way be made as familiar 
to us as towns and cities in our own country. A 
practical lesson in Bible Geography now and then 
in the Sunday School or from the pulpit, would be 
wholesome. 


BIBLE GEOGRAPHY 


3 


The subject of Biblical geography has, within the 
past generation, received special attention at the 
hands of Christian scholars of various lands, and 
this has imparted a new impulse to the exploration 
of sacred localities. The sites of many cities in 
Bible countries have been clearly identified, others 
are in process of being determined, while others 
still are as yet matters of dispute or are wholly 
conjectural. As if the Bible itself were intended 
to interest us in a study of the lands in which its 
authors lived, allusions to its scenery, its rivers and 
lakes, its valleys and mountains, its towns and 
cities, abound on almost every page from Genesis 
to Revelation. 


I. 

The world of the Old Testament embraces 
the seas and lands from the river of Egypt on the 
west, to the Persian Gulf on the east, and from the 
northern part of the Red Sea on the south, to the 
southern part of the Caspian Sea on the north. 
The total extent of the territory embraced was about 
1,400 miles from east to west, and 900 miles from 
north to south, aggregating perhaps a million and 
a-quarter square miles. Deducting from this such 
bodies of water as are included in it, possibly 150,- 
000 square miles, there is left an area about one- 
third the size of the United States apart from 
Alaska. More than one-half of this region — 


4 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


that portion which is directly to the east and south- 
east of Palestine — is uninhabitable desert. This 
would leave the portion actually habitable as less 
than one-eighth the size of the American republic. 
Palestine itself, or that part of the Holy Land 
west of the Jordan — the main theater of Biblical 
history — is very sniall. England is nearly five 
times as large, Scotland and Ireland about three 
times. It is hardly as large as Wales, or about the 
size of Vermont or Hew Hampshire. 

Turning now to some of the geographical features 
of this Old Testament world in detail, we notice 
first its seas. (See maps for all following refer- 
ences.) Some of them are large bodies of water. 
The Caspian Sea, which occupies the northeast cor- 
ner of this world, is the largest body of water sur- 
rounded by land on the globe. Into the Persian 
Gulf at the southeast, two of the great rivers of 
Old Testament history empty their waters — the 
Tigris, called in the Bible Hiddekel, and the Eu- 
phrates, the great river of the Bible world, (Gen. 
ii:14). The Red Sea on the southwest has two 
arms at its north end, between which is the wilder- 
ness where the Israelites lived their nomadic life 
for forty years after the exodus. The Dead Sea, 
called in the Bible the “ Salt Sea,” (Josh, xviii: 
19), is about 100 miles north of the eastern arm of 
the Red Sea. Its length is forty-seven miles and it 
has an average width of ten miles. In some places 


BIBLE GEOGRAPHY 


5 


it is 1,300 feet deep, although its surface is 1,300 
feet lower than the Mediterranean. The southern 
part of the sea is an extensive lagoon not more 
than twenty feet deep. During the rainy season 
its waters may rise fifteen feet. It has no known 
outlet. So intensely salt is the water that it is 
impossible for one to sink in it. This has repeat- 
edly been tested. One simply floats upon the sur- 
face. The little sea or lake of Galilee — once 
surrounded by cities, its waters covered with boats, 
and around whose borders much of our Lord’s min- 
istry was passed — is really an expansion of the 
river Jordan. It is thirteen miles in length, and 
about seven miles in width at its widest part. Its 
greatest depth is less than 200 feet. The waters 
of Merom, a few miles farther north, and beside 
which Joshua gained a decisive victory over the 
combined armies of the kings of the northern sec- 
tion of Palestine, (Josh. xi:7, 8), is also an expan- 
sion of the Jordan. It is tringular in shape, about 
three miles across, located in a swampy region, and 
is surrounded by jungles. Measurements vary 
somewhat with the amount of the rainfall. It lies 
seven feet above the level of the Mediterranean, and 
is from ten to sixteen feet in depth. The Mediter- 
ranean or “ great sea toward the going down of the 
sun,” (Josh. i:4), forms the western boundary of 
the Holy Land and the regions to the north of it. 
It was on this sea that Jonah is represented as hav- 


'6 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


ing made his memorable voyage (Jonah i:3), and 
that Paul was shipwrecked on his way to Pome, 
(Acts xxvii). 

The nucleus of the mountain system of the Old 
Testament world is found in the land of Armenia, 
midway between the Caspian Sea and Asia Minor. 
Here five great mountain ranges have their origin, 
with only a part of which, however, are we now 
particularly concerned. The Ararat mountains, 
referred to in the story of Noah and the flood, 
(Gen. viii:4), run nearly east and west, in three 
parallel sections. One of the peaks of the most 
northern of the three sections is the traditional 
resting-place of the ark. It is 18,000 feet high, 
the highest summit of the group. The Lebanon 
range, starting from the west side of the Ararat 
group, runs in a southwesterly direction along the 
Mediterranean coast toward the Ped Sea. In 
Syria it is divided into two parallel branches, 
Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon. Mount Hermon, 
which is 9,200 feet high and overlooks Palestine, 
is the southern termination of the Anti-Lebanon 
range. This has always been a landmark of north- 
ern Palestine. South of Palestine, this Lebanon 
range forms the Sinaitic group, on one of the peaks 
of which the Law was given, (Ex. xix:16 and if). 
The other ranges are the Caspian, bending around 
the south end of the Caspian Sea and extending 
eastward ; the Zagros, which forms the eastern 


BIBLE GEOGRAPHY 


7 


watershed of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, run- 
ning generally southeast to the north shore of the 
Persian Gulf; and the Taurus range, which runs 
in a westerly direction, following the north shore 
of the Mediterranean. As a young man Paul lived 
in sight of this latter range. Tarsus, his native 
place, is but a few miles to the southward. 

Nearly all the rivers of the Old Testament 
world, especially the largest of them, have their 
origin in the mountain system of Armenia, and 
nearly all of them follow the mountain lines. The 
Euphrates flows west 400 miles, then south about 
as far, then in a southeasterly direction 1,000 miles, 
when it unites with the Tigris. It is navigable 
for 1,100 miles, and has in all ages formed the 
principal route of travel between eastern and west- 
ern Asia. Eor 800 miles before it reaches Baby- 
lon, which is on its banks, it flows through a desert 
and does not receive a single tributary. At Baby- 
lon it is nearly a mile wide. At its annual over- 
flow it sometimes rises twelve feet. 

The Nile is the one river of Egypt. It rises 
in the center of the continent, its sources having 
been discovered through the explorations of recent 
years, and flows north to the Mediterranean, into 
which, through several mouths, it empties its 
waters. It was along the banks of this river that 
the Israelites were compelled to make bricks during 
their Egyptian bondage. Its waters, with their 


8 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


rich deposits upon the soil from its yearly overflow, 
have made Egypt the fertile land that it is. Mem- 
phis, its early capital, was located on this river. 
The Jordan, really the only river of Palestine, is 
yet one of the most important mentioned in Bible 
history. Taking its rise in three large springs at 
the base of Mount Hermon, it flows southward in a 
zigzag course to the Dead Sea. Its current is 
rapid. The springs which form its source are 
1,700 feet above tide water. Below Merom the 
river descends by a fall of 60 feet to the mile. 
Erom the Sea of Galilee, which is 682 feet below 
the Mediterranean, the river flows through a gorge 
65 miles long to the Dead Sea, which, as has al- 
ready been said, is 1,300 feet below the Mediter- 
ranean. On either side of this gorge there is a 
barrier of cliffs, from two to eight miles apart, ex- 
cept at the plain of the Jordan, just north of the 
Dead Sea, which is fourteen miles wide. The 
plain itself lies about 400 feet above the level of 
the Dead Sea. Around this plain are mountains, 
some of which rise to a height of 3,000 to 4,000 
feet above it. It was in the portion of the plain 
east of the Jordan that the Israelites encamped be- 
fore their invasion of the land of promise, and it 
was at Gilgal on the west of the river, that they had 
their headquarters during its conquest, (Josh. v:10, 
x:15, etc.). The direct length of the Jordan is 
134 miles, hut through its windings, its channel is 


BIBLE GEOGRAPHY 


9 


increased to 200 miles. In its entire progress it 
falls over 3,000 feet — an average of 22 feet to the 
mile. It varies in width from 80 to 180 feet, and 
in depth from three or four to twelve feet. There 
were never, on its banks, any great cities, yet many 
interesting events of Bible history are associated 
with it. 

The Old Testament world has three natural di- 
visions — somewhat like those of the United States. 
The eastern slope extends from Mount Zagros east- 
ward to the desert. Here is Armenia. Media is 
on the west of the Caspian Sea, and Persia is 
south of Media. The central plain lies between 
the Zagros and the Lebanon. In this plain are 
Assyria on the north, Elam on the south. Mesopo- 
tamia and Chaldea are between the Tigris and Eu- 
phrates, the former to the north, and the latter to 
the south. West of the Euphrates is the desert 
of Arabia. The Mediterranean slope is between 
the Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea. The 
lands of this slope, beginning with the south, are 
Egypt, the Wilderness, Canaan or Palestine, Syria, 
Phoenicia, Asia Minor. 

Pour great empires ruled in succession over most 
of the Old Testament world. (1) The early 
Chaldean Empire, with Ur for its earlier, and 
Babylon for its later capital. Ur is referred to 
in the story of Abraham, (Gen. xi:31). (2) The 

Assyrian Empire, with Nineveh for its capital, was 


10 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


located on both sides of the Tigris. At one time 
its people were rulers of all the lands to the west- 
ward as far as the Mediterranean. It was to 
Nineveh that the prophet Jonah is represented as 
having been sent, whither, after seeking to evade 
his duty, he was finally constrained, reluctantly, 
to go, (Jonah i:l-3, iii :1— 3). (3) The Baby- 

lonian Empire, (about B. C. 625-536), was es- 
tablished by Nebuchadrezzar, with Babylon as its 
capital. The fall of this noted city is referred to 
in connection with the story of Belteshazzar and 
the hand-writing on the wall, (Dan. v:30, 31). 
(4) The Persian Empire, (about 536 to 330 
B. C.), was established by Cyrus, with Shushan, 
or Susa, for its capital, the scene of the story of 
Queen Esther, (Esther i:2, ii:8), and where 
Nehemiah was acting as cupbearer to the king 
when the desire seized him to go to Jerusalem and 
rebuild its broken walls, (Neh. i:l). Haran, 
(Gen. xi:31, xii:4, 5), the home for a season of 
Abraham after migrating from Br of the Chaldees, 
was in Mesopotamia. Damascus, which is fre- 
quently referred to in connection with the wars be- 
tween Israel and Syria, was the capital of Syria. 
Tyre was the commercial metropolis of Phoenicia. 
The main events of Old Testament history, outside 
of Palestine, cluster about the places we have now 
named. 


BIBLE GEOGRAPHY 


11 


II. 

During the period between the close of the Old 
Testament canon and the Advent, the course of 
Empire moved westward 1,000 miles, and the capi- 
tal of the world passed from Asia to Europe. Je- 
rusalem and Rome became the eastern and western 
limits of the NEW TESTAMENT WORLD. 

Of the sects mentioned in the New Testament, 
the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea have already 
been described. The iEgean Sea, between Asia 
Minor and Greece, was familiar to Paul. In this 
sea is the island of Patmos, (Rev. i:9), where 
John had the vision which formed the basis of the 
book of Revelation. The Adriatic Sea comprised 
that portion of the Mediterranean which lies be- 
tween the southern extremity of Italy and Greece. 
The Mediterranean Sea as far west as Italy, was 
known to the New Testament world. 

In the book of Acts we have reference to Cy- 
prus, which Paul and Barnabas visited on their first 
missionary journey, (Acts xiii :4) ; Crete, southeast 
of Greece, mentioned in the account of Paul’s voy- 
age to Rome, (Acts xxvii:7, 12, 13, 21) ; Cauda, a 
little island to the south of Crete, (xxvii:16); 
Melita, or Malta, now the British stronghold, where 
the apostle was shipwrecked, (Acts xxviii:l); and 
Sicily, of which Syracuse, (Acts xxviii:12), visited 
by Paul on his way to Rome, was an important city. 


12 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


The lands of the New Testament world belong to 
three continents. Libya and Egypt are in Africa, 
Egypt being less prominent here than in Old Tes- 
tament times ; Palestine, Phoenicia, Syria, and Asia 
Minor, belong to Asia ; Thrace, Macedonia, Greece 
or Achaia, Illyricum, and Italy, are in Europe. 
Of the fourteen provinces in Asia Minor, three of 
them, Pontus, Paphlagonia, and Bithynia, bordered 
on the Black Sea. Mysia, Lydia, and Caria, on the 
west, bordered on the iEgean — these provinces to- 
gether forming the region which is termed “ Asia ” 
in the book of Acts, (Acts vi:9, xxi:27, etc). 
Here the seven churches which were addressed in 
Bevelation, (Kev. i:4), were located. Bordering 
on the Mediterranean were Lycia, Pamphylia, and 
Cilicia. In the interior were five provinces — 
Phrygia, Lycaonia, Pisidia, Galatia, and Cappado- 
cia. It was to the Galatian Christians that Paul 
addressed one of his most vigorous epistles, (Gal. 
i:2). 

A few of the cities which are prominently re- 
ferred to in the New Testament, chiefly in the book 
of Acts, may be mentioned. Among them were 
Alexandria in Egypt, (Acts xviii :24) ; Caesarea, 
the political capital of Judea, (Acts xxiii:33), on 
its western coast, where Paul was imprisoned for 
two years; Bethlehem, in the southern part of Pal- 
estine, where Christ was born, (Luke ii :4— 7 ) ; 
Nazareth, at the north, the home of his youth and 


BIBLE GEOGRAPHY 


13 


young manhood, (Luke ii:39); and Jerusalem, 
with its remarkable history in the Old Testament 
and the New, where Christ preached, where He was 
finally arrested and crucified. There was Damas- 
cus, too, near which Paul was converted, (Acts 
ix:3), which was the southern capital of Syria, as 
Antioch, the scene of Paul’s labors for a year, (Acts 
xi:25, 26), was the northern. Tarsus, in the prov- 
ince of Cilicia, was his birthplace, (Acts xxii:3). 
Ephesus, which was the scene of Paul’s labors for 
three years, the site of the temple to the goddess Di- 
ana, and where the uproar caused by the silversmiths 
occurred, (Acts xix), was in Lydia. It is believed 
that the apostle John also labored here, and that 
here he died. Philippi and Thessalonica in Mace- 
donia were visited by Paul and Silas on the second 
missionary journey, when the gospel was first intro- 
duced into Europe, (Acts xvi:12, xvii:l). At the 
former place they were scourged and imprisoned, 
in the second they barely escaped a similar expe- 
rience. Berea, too, they visited, (Acts xvii:10). 
At Athens, from the Areopagus, or Mars Hill, Paul 
delivered his address on the Fatherhood of God and 
the Brotherhood of Man, (Acts xvii:16 and ff). 
At Corinth he founded and built up a church, (Acts 
xviii:l-ll), to which he afterward wrote two of 
his most practical epistles. Rome, the proud capi- 
tal of the Roman empire and mistress of the world 
at that time, was the scene of Paul’s imprisonment 


14 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


while waiting for his trial before Csesar, (Acts 
xxviii:16), and from here he wrote several of his 
most spiritual epistles. To the Christians here he 
had previously addressed his notable epistle “ to 
the Romans.” Here also, it is believed, he suffered 
martyrdom. 

The following facts may be noted as constituting 
a providential preparation for the introduction of 
Christianity into the world : the Roman government 
had extended its sway over many different lands; 
while many languages were spoken in the Roman 
empire, the Greek language was spoken everywhere ; 
although there were many races, the Jewish race 
was everywhere found, and their synagogues fur- 
nished a center of missionary operations in every 
city ; while there were many religions, there was no 
deep-seated conviction as to the truth of any one of 
them. Everywhere serious-minded people were 
hungering after a knowledge of the true God. 
These facts make it clear that the times were ripe 
and the conditions favorable for the introduction of 
Christianity — more favorable than they had been 
before or have been since. Together they constitute 
a providential preparation for the advent of Christ 
and, the inauguration of His spiritual kingdom. 

III. 

As we examine the map of Palestine we can- 
not but he impressed with the smallness of the 


BIBLE GEOGRAPHY 


15 


Holy Land proper. It is but a narrow strip of 
country bordering on the eastern coast of the Med- 
iterranean, hardly large enough to be noticed as 
compared with the regions adjacent. Yet small as 
as it is, and isolated by the desert on the east and 
south, by the Mediterranean on the west, and moun- 
tains to the north, it was the theater of momentous 
events, and of most of the important events of Bible 
history. It lay between great empires — Egypt 
on the southwest, and Assyria and Babylonia on the 
east — was indeed the passageway between them. 
Ho land is so hallowed in its associations, or so 
abounds in sacred memories. It was mainly the 
scene of God’s revelation to man, the land which 
suggested to Jewish prophets the striking imagery 
of their discourses, the land of the patriarchs, Abra- 
ham, Isaac, Jacob, above all, the land of the earthly 
life of our Lord. 

The most ancient name of the Holy Land, Ca- 
naan, meaning low-land, was derived from its inhab- 
itants who seem to have occupied the most fertile re- 
gions found in the country. After the conquest by 
Joshua, it was called the “ Land of Israel,” this 
name being applied to the whole territory at first, 
although later it had reference only to the dominion 
of the Ten Tribes. The name Palestine is a mod- 
ernized form of the word Philistine, the name of 
a heathen race which occupied the southwest portion 
of the country. Palestine proper, the land of the 


16 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


twelve tribes, embraces both Canaan and the region 
to the east of the Jordan. Not all of Palestine 
was possessed by Israel during most of its history, 
for the plain along this seashore was held by the 
Philistines on the south and the Phoenicians on the 
north. As popularly used now, the names “ Pal- 
estine ” and “ Holy Land ” are generally under- 
stood to refer to the portion of the country extend- 
ing from the Jordan to the Mediterranean. 

The country to the west of the Jordan is 143 
miles in length from north to south, with an aver- 
age breadth of forty miles. It has an area of about 
6,500 square miles, or Considerably less than Massa- 
chusetts, or about one-eighth the size of Illinois, 
Wisconsin, or Iowa. Including the land to the east 
of the Jordan, or covering the entire domain of the 
twelve tribes, the extent of territory would be 
nearly doubled, or equivalent in area to Massachu- 
setts and Connecticut combined, or a-quarter the 
size of either of the western states just mentioned. 
The area of the entire land of promise during the 
reigns of Solomon and David, was only 60,000 
square miles, a little less than the New England 
states, or a little larger than Illinois. The coast 
line from Gaza, the southernmost town, to Sidon 
on the northern boundary, is about 180 miles in 
length, or a little less than the distance from Boston 
to Albany, or from Chicago to the Mississippi 
river. From Sidon to the Jordan the distance is 


BIBLE GEOGRAPHY 


17 


25 miles. The Dead Sea is about 60 miles east of 
Gaza. The country thus varies in width from 25 
to 60 miles. From the sources of the Jordan at 
the foot of Mount Hermon, to the south end of the 
Dead Sea, it is 160 miles. 

Topographically, the country is divided into 
four sections. There is first the maritime plain 
which lies along the coast of the Mediterranean for 
the entire length of the country, broken only by 
Mount Carmel, north of which it is quite narrow 
and is called Phoenicia. South of Carmel the 
width of this plain varies from eight miles at the 
north to twenty miles at the south. The surface is 
undulating and the soil is very fertile. The cen- 
tral part of the country, the most important zone 
of Palestine, is mountainous throughout its whole 
extent, it being a continuation of the Lebanon 
range. The average height of the mountains in up- 
per Galilee is 2,800 feet, although there are some 
which are higher. The hill country of Judea is 
from 2,000 to 3,000 feet above the sea level. Be- 
tween the mountainous part and the plain at the 
west, there are foothills which are from 300 to 
500 feet high, forming a kind of irregular terrace. 
The Negeb or South country begins just south of 
Hebron and slopes southward to the Arabian desert. 
The valley of the Jordan is a remarkable depression 
growing gradually deeper to the southward. It 
really extends, like an immense canal, from the 


18 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


foot of Mount Hermon to the eastern arm of the 
Red Sea. To the east of the Jordan valley is a 
lofty table-land, which stretches away to the desert. 
Much of it is fertile and adapted to pasturage, a 
fact which, in the allotment of the land, determined 
the choice of those tribes which had flocks. The 
northern part of this territory was known as 
Bashan, the central as Gilead, the southern as 
Moab. 

Small as it is, the Jordan is the one river of the 
country. There are a number of mountain brooks 
and torrents which are large and rapid during the 
rainy season, although their beds are dry most of 
the year. The brook Kishon, “ that ancient river,” 
(Judges v:21), flows along the foot of Carmel 
into the Mediterranean. At certain times of the 
year it is possible to ride on horseback in its bed. 
The river Leontes, now the Litany, forms the 
northern boundary of Palestine, the brook Besor 
the southern. Both these streams empty into the 
Mediterranean. Prom the central mountain re- 
gion, the Parah — the “ waters of iEnon,” (John 
iii:23) — flows east and empties into the Jordan. 
The brook Kidron, (John xviii:l), flows past Jeru- 
salem, then turns eastward and empties into the 
Dead Sea. On the east of the Jordan valley there 
are two or three rivers. The river Jabbok, (Gen. 
xxxii:22) descends from the table-land and enters 


BIBLE GEOGRAPHY 


19 


the Jordan a little south of a point about half the 
distance from the Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea. 
The brook Cherith, (I Kings xvii:3), by tradition 
the place where Elijah was fed by the ravens, prob- 
ably flows into the J ordan also, from the east. The 
river Arnon, (Deut. ii :24) flows into the Dead Sea 
about the middle of its eastern shore. 

The summit of Mount Hermon, (Psa. cxxxiii:3) 
on the northern boundary of the country, is often, 
even in summer, more or less covered with snow. 
Mount Tabor, oval-shaped, is a little west of the 
Sea of Galilee, (Ps. lxxxix:12). Little Tabor, 
called in the Bible the “ hill of Moreh,” where Gid- 
eon was victorious over the Midianites, (Judges 
vii), is south of Tabor. At Mount Gilboa, still 
farther south, Saul and Jonathan lost their lives, 
(I Sam. xxxi:l-6). Mount Carmel, at the eastern 
end of which Elijah’s contest with the priests of 
Baal took place, (I Kings xviii:20 and fl), is due 
west of the Sea of Galilee, and projects into the 
Mediterranean. Mounts Ebal and Gerizim are near 
the center of the country. In the narrow valley be- 
tween them, the Israelites, led by Joshua, assem- 
bled to hear the blessings and the cursings read, 
Joshua viii :30— 35 ), in accordance with the direc- 
tion of Moses before his death. The Mount of 
Olives is just east of Jerusalem. Erom it Jesus 
ascended, (Acts i :9— 12). Mount Kebo, where 


20 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


Moses died, and whence he had seen the promised 
land, (Deut. xxxiv), is a little to the eastward of 
the Jordan near the head of the Dead Sea. 

Among the places in the Holy Land which are 
particularly associated with Bible incidents are the 
following: Gaza, the scene of Samson’s exploits 
and of his death, (Judges xvi:21 and ff), on the 
coast at the south; Joppa, the seaport of Jerusalem, 
from which Jonah set sail, (Jonah i:3), and where 
Peter had a notable vision, (Acts x:l-16); far- 
ther north, also on the coast, Caesarea, at the time 
of Christ the political capital of Judea, and the 
scene of Paul’s imprisonment for two years, (Acts 
xxiii:33). Tyre, which Christ visited, and Sidon, 
(Matt. xv:21), are on the coast still farther north. 
Hebron, in the southern central part of Palestine, 
was the burial place of the patriarchs, (Gen. xxiii: 
17-20, xxv:8-10, 1:12-14:). Bethlehem, a few 
miles south of Jerusalem, was the birthplace of 
David, (I Sam. xvi:l, 19, 20), and later of David’s 
greater Son, (Luke ii:4-7). Jerusalem was the 
center of interest during most of the Old Testament 
history and all of the Hew. Bethel, the scene of 
Jacob’s vision of the ladder reaching to heaven and 
of angels ascending and descending upon it, (Gen. 
xxviii:10-19), was nine or ten miles north of 
Jerusalem. Shechem, (Gen. xxxvii:12, 13, etc.), 
near which Jacob’s well was located, lies between 
Mounts Ebal and Gerizim. Samaria, capital of 


BIBLE GEOGRAPHY 


21 


the northern Kingdom, (I Kings xvi:23, 24) was 
on a hill a few miles northwest of Shechem. Naz- 
areth, the early home of Jesus, (Luke ii:51), was 
on a hillside in Galilee and on the northern border 
of the plain of Esdraelon. Capernaum was on the 
west coast of the Sea of Galilee, (Matt. iv:13). 
Dan was at one of the sources of the Jordan, (Gen. 
xiv:14). The towns of the eastern table-land were 
few and unimportant. 

The roads of the country furnish an extremely 
interesting study. There are many natural high- 
ways which have followed pretty much the same di- 
rection in all ages. These have been determined by 
the natural conformations of the country — the 
valleys, passes through the mountains, fords of 
rivers — and by commercial traffic and military 
necessities. These roads are not like our highways 
— broad, fenced, kept in repair, and fitted for all 
kinds of vehicles — but simply paths through the 
country, which have been worn by countless multi- 
tudes of travelers, traffickers, and armies. These 
old roadways, famous in their day, can still be 
traced by current lines of traffic, which, however, 
are not as extensive now as of old ; by great khans 
or caravansaries, some of them still in use though 
most of them are in ruins — great walled inclosures 
where caravans pass the night; or by the remains 
of old Koman pavements — for the Komans were 
always road-makers, and all over their ancient do- 


22 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


minions traces of them are still to be found, even in 
England and in the Orient. Of course there were 
roads connecting Egypt and Assyria. Two roads 
ran through the plain along the Mediterranean 
coast, over which embassies and armies from two 
continents traveled centuries ago. Roads branched 
off here and there, according as there were passes 
in the mountains. Jerusalem was a center whence 
roads ran to different parts of the land. One starts 
northward from the Damascus gate and passing 
through the center of the mountain region toward 
Shechem and Dan, terminates at Damascus. His- 
toric localities abound all along the course of this 
road. It was over it that Jesus and His disciples 
were passing when they came to Jacob’s well, where 
He rested and had the conversation with the woman 
of Samaria concerning the water of life. 

Another road led to the eastward or northeast- 
ward from the Holy City. It passed through a 
barren region of crags and ravines which is still al- 
most without inhabitants, except the robbers who 
have haunted it since the days when “ a certain man 
was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho,” and 
“fell among robbers,” (Luke x:30). Bethany, on 
the eastern slope of Olivet, was and is the only town 
along its course until it reached Jericho, (Luke 
xix:29). The road which runs southward from 
Jerusalem passes by Bethlehem. Its course is 
along the crest of the hill country toward Hebron 


BIBLE GEOGRAPHY 


23 


and Beersheba. Another road ran to the south- 
westward toward Gaza. It was on this road that 
Philip had his interview with the eunuch who was 
returning from Jerusalem to Ethiopia, (Acts viii: 
26 and ff). There was a road also which ran 
northwest to J oppa, descending from the mountains 
to the sea. 

Jericho was another central point for roads. 
One ran northwest up to Ai and beyond, another 
southwest to Bethlehem, another east across the 
Jordan, thence branching both north and south. 
Roads from Egypt branched off as they came to 
Carmel — one running to the westward around the 
promontory, close to the sea, continuing north along 
the coast, another passing through Megiddo into 
the plain of Esdraelon, another turning to the east- 
ward and passing through the valley of Dothan. 
Probably the Ismaelitish merchants who bought 
Joseph from his brethren, traveled over this latter 
road on their way to Egypt. Galilee was covered 
with roads. One ran from Tyre and Sidon off to 
the eastward into the regions of Bashan. This was 
an outlet from the interior to the sea. South of 
the sea of Galilee there was a bridge over the Jor- 
dan. Bethshean was a distributing point, so also 
was Damascus. Now there are railroads from 
Joppa to Jerusalem, from Haifa to Tiberias, and 
from Beirut to Damascus. 

During the tribal period , which continued from 


24 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


the conquest of the land by Joshua to the inaugura- 
tion of the kingdom, the country was occupied by 
what we may call four groups of settlers. East 
of the Jordan were Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh 
(east). Judea was the center of the southern 
group, Simeon on the south and Benjamin and Dan 
on the north. In the central group were Ephraim, 
Manasseh (west,) both extending from the Jordan to 
the Mediterranean. The northern group consisted 
of Issachar on the south, Zebulon in the center, 
Asher on the northwest, and Haphtali on the north- 
east, (Josh, xiii and if). 

After the tribal period, the tribes were united in 
a kingdom, and so remained during the reigns of 
Saul, David, and Solomon. After the death of 
Solomon the country was divided into two king- 
doms, (I Kings xii). Judah, Simeon and Benja- 
min forming the Kingdom of Judah, with Jerusa- 
lem for its capital, and the rest of the tribes form- 
ing a northern kingdom, or Kingdom of Israel, with 
Samaria for its capital. In the Hew Testament age, 
or the provincial period, the country was divided 
into the following provinces: west of the Jordan, 
Galilee at the north, Samaria in the center, Judea 
at the south. East of the Sea of Galilee was the 
tetrachy of Philip, known as Bashan in early his- 
tory. East of the Jordan — south of the Hiero- 
max River — was Perea. This was united with 
Galilee under Herod Antipas. 


BIBLE GEOGRAPHY 


25 


The earliest people of this remarkable little coun- 
try were an unknown race, like the mound-builders 
in America, and the cave-dwellers in Europe. At 
the time of Abraham’s migration from Mesopo- 
tamia to Palestine, these earlier races had been 
largely supplanted by later tribes which were often 
called Canaanites, and which were variously dis- 
tributed throughout the country. There were first 
the Zidonians on the narrow plain by the Mediter- 
ranean, who were early famous as traders in the 
Mediterranean world, and whose country was never 
possessed by the Israelites. Secondly there were 
the Canaanites proper, or lowlanders, who occupied 
the maritime plain from Phoenicia southward, in- 
cluding also the plain of Esdraelon and the Jordan 
valley, the richest and most valuable portion of the 
land. In the patriarchal age their only city on the 
coast was Joppa. They had a number of cities in 
the Jordan valley, including Sodom and Gomorrah 
which were destroyed, (Gen. xix:24, 25). Just 
before the conquest their most important city was 
Jericho which had arisen in place of the cities 
which had been destroyed. Then there were the 
Philistines, south of the Canaanites. They had 
frequent dealings with Abraham and Isaac. Be- 
fore the conquest there was a powerful confederacy 
of five cities. The Philistines were not subdued 
by the Israelites until the time of David. All 
through the period of the Judges they were the 


26 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


most dangerous of Israel’s enemies. Other tribes 
of this same Canaanitish stock were the Girgash- 
ites, the Hivites, the Perizzites, the Amorites, and 
the Jebusites. The latter were a small warlike tribe 
living on the mountains around the city Jehus. 
The city was held by them long after the conquest 
by Joshua. The Hivites dwelt in Mount Lebanon, 
with other tribes of which little is known farther 
north. There were several tribes on the south, not 
all of which can be located with certainty. The 
Amalekites, a people of unknown origin and preda- 
tory in their habits, dwelt south of the Philistines. 
There were the Kenites also, to the south of Judah, 
and the Edomites, descended from Esau, to the 
southwest of the Dead Sea. The country to the 
southeast and east of the Dead Sea was occupied 
by the Moabites and Ammonites, descendants of 
Lot, the nephew of Abraham. 

All these races probably spoke the Hebrew 
tongue, or one closely allied to it. Each village 
or tribe had its own ruler called king, whose au- 
thority, however, was limited by a body of elders. 
The religion of these tribes differed widely from 
that of the Hebrews. The Canaanites deified na- 
ture under various forms, especially that of Baal, 
the giver of life, and of Ashtoreth, the correspond- 
ing female divinity. Their rites and worship were 
impure and cruel. The history of these peoples is 
unwritten save as they were related to the Conquest. 


BIBLE GEOGRAPHY 


27 


IV. 

Because of its Biblical associations; because of 
its place and power in history ; because the closing 
scenes in the life of our Lord were enacted here, 
there is no city on earth which the devout Christian 
would rather visit than Jerusalem. In the 
thought of most people, a kind of halo surrounds 
it. Certain it is that were we to take out of the 
Bible all the passages which relate to Jerusalem, 
the sacred volume would seem to be, and would be, 
somewhat fragmentary. 

The city has had a very remarkable history. At 
the time of Joshua’s conquest it was in possession 
of a tribe of Canaanites, called Jebusites, whom 
the Israelites could not drive out. They continued 
indeed, to hold the city through the period of the 
Judges, through the reign of Saul until the eighth 
year of David’s reign, when it was captured, and 
made the capital of his kingdom, (II Sam. v:6-9). 
During all these years it had been impossible to 
dislodge these Jebusites, although their city was in 
the very heart of the country. This shows how 
strong a fortress it was, and its fitness to be a capi- 
tal. Under Solomon, David’s successor, the city 
was greatly enriched and beautified, the most nota- 
ble structure which he erected being the Temple, 
the great national sanctuary, (I Kings vi). 

Krom Solomon’s time, the history of the city was 


28 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


varied for centuries. It was taken and retaken, 
destroyed and rebuilt. At one time the Egyptians 
from the southwest subdued it, and later Nebuchad- 
rezzar from the east did the same. In the third 
century B. C., it opened its gates to Alexander the 
Great. Later still, it came under the Koman power 
and remained so through the time of Christ. It 
was destroyed, with a great slaughter of Jews, by 
Titus, in the year 70 A. D. Afterward it was re- 
built, and then for centuries it was captured and re- 
captured, finally coming under the power of the Mo- 
hammedans. Then came the era of Crusades, 
when multitudes of the zealous from all over Eu- 
rope sought to capture it. They did so finally, and 
held it for a number of years. At length it came 
under the dominion of the Turks, and has remained 
so for several centuries. Probably Jerusalem has 
been captured and recaptured, leveled and rebuilt, 
more times than any other city in the world. Un- 
der the circumstances, it is not strange that a great 
deal of debris should have accumulated in and about 
it. In this way depressions have been filled up, 
and the valleys between the hills on which it was 
built have nearly disappeared. It is said that the 
present streets of the city are 30 to 50 feet higher 
than those of Christ’s day. 

The general elevation of the city is about 2,500 
feet above the sea. It is 32 miles from the Med- 
iterranean, 18 miles from the Dead Sea, 36 from 


BIBLE GEOGRAPHY 


29 


Samaria, and 20 from Hebron. Owing to its to- 
pography, the present outlines of the city, though 
not precisely the same, probably do not differ 
greatly from those of earlier times. It is at pres- 
ent surrounded by a wall, built 350 years ago, which 
is 38 feet high, nine feet in thickness at the base, 
and three feet thick at the parapet. There are thir- 
ty-four towers at intervals. The Temple Enclosure, 
as it is called, on the east side, is a quadrangle con- 
taining about 35 acres. Here no doubt was the 
site of the Temple. How a large Mohammedan 
mosque, octagonal in form, and surmounted by an 
immense black dome, occupies the center of the 
quadrangle. This is the most conspicuous object 
in the city, especially as one views it from the top 
of Mount Olivet across the Kidron at the east. The 
eastern wall of the city is undoubtedly about the 
same in location as the one of old. It is just on the 
edge of the valley of Jehoshaphat, through which 
runs the brook Kidron. The western wall cannot 
be far removed from the site of the original one. 
It is generally believed that the Tower of David at 
the Joppa gate is in the same position as in David’s 
time, if it is not the very same tower. On the 
south, the hill of Zion, perhaps the site of the orig- 
inal city in the time of the Jebusites, is now partly 
outside the southern wall. The position of the 
wall on the north has been changed several times. 

Originally the city was built on four hills, or 


30 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


elevations. These hills were : Zion, the largest 
and highest, at the southwest; Acra, almost north 
of Zion, and like that, between the Hinnom and 
Tyropean valleys; Moriah, the seat of the Temple, 
the southeast hill, between the Kidron and Tyro- 
pean valleys. At the southern end of Moriah is 
a steep declivity called Ophel, extending to a junc- 
tion of the valleys. Bezetha, north of Moriah, is 
between the same valleys. 

Outside the city, we have at the east the Mount 
of Olives, a range of five peaks or crowns extending 
north and south, just beyond the valley of the 
Kidron, and hut little higher than Jerusalem itself. 
The middle peak is called the Hill of the Ascension. 
From its summit the finest view of the city is to be 
gained. To the south of the city, across the valley 
of Hinnom, is the Hill of Evil Counsel, so named 
as the traditional place of Judas’ bargain with the 
chief priests for the delivery of Christ into their 
hands, and of the “ field of blood.” At present 
a Moslem cemetery occupies a goodly proportion of 
the space outside the walls over against Olivet. 

The present city has seven gates, although only 
four of them are in use. The Jaffa gate, through 
which most travelers enter the city, is on the west, 
the Damascus gate on the north, that of St. Stephen 
on the east, and Zion gate is at the south. The 
population is made up of Jews, Mohammedans, 
Armenians, and Christians. The city is divided 


Permission of Robt. IT. Jacob. JERUSALEM. 

I. Inside the Jaffa gate. II. In the palace of Caiaphas. 






BIBLE GEOGRAPHY 


31 


into four sections by two somewhat irregular but 
important streets which cross each other at right 
angles — David street, running eastward from the 
J affa gate, and Damascus street running southward 
from the gate of that name. The Jews occupy the 
southeast quarter, the Mohammedans the northeast, 
the Armenians the southwest, and Christians the 
northwest. The Mohammedan quarter is the clean- 
est, that of the Jews the foulest, that of the Chris- 
tians a mean between the two. The streets, all of 
them, are mere lanes, and filthy beyond description. 
Many of them are roughly paved. The houses are 
low, and for the most part better fitted to be stables 
than human habitations. The stores and shops, as 
a rule, are as unattractive as the streets. The 
church of the Holy Sepulcher is the center of inter- 
est from the many sacred places which have been 
grouped together within its walls, including the 
place of the crucifixion and the sepulcher in which 
Christ was buried. There is little reason for ac- 
cepting the traditions in regard to any one of 
them. 

Recently a new and more modern Jerusalem has 
been growing up outside the walls of the old city 
at the west and north. It includes many hospitals, 
hospices, school buildings, hotels, churches, and a 
better class of residences than is to be found in the 
older city. The representatives of the various re- 
ligions, Greek, Latin, and Protestant, have vied 


32 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


with each other in erecting costly and showy struc- 
tures. The Russians are perhaps the most prom- 
inent builders. 

There are many things in and about Jerusalem 
to awaken interest. True, one may not feel sure 
about many of the locations which are pointed out, 
but we certainly are warranted in believing that 
this was the site of the Jerusalem of the Bible. 
The topography confirms it. It is seen to be nat- 
urally fitted to be a stronghold. It is “ beautiful 
in elevation ” as the Psalmist declares, (Ps. xlviii : 
2 ). 

Even from the cursory review of the geography 
of the Bible world, and of Palestine in particular, 
which has now been presented, one can see how ef- 
fective a sidelight upon the Bible a knowledge of it 
is. After such a study, and with maps before one 
to refresh the memory, one is prepared to read the 
Scriptures with an interest and an understanding 
which he has never before had. 


CHAPTER II 


HARMONY OF THE LAND AND THE BOOK 

A S anciently all roads, even from the remotest 
bounds of the Roman Empire, led toward 
the capital on the Tiber, centering at the golden 
milestone in the Eorum, so from every quarter 
lines of confirmatory testimony converge to estab- 
lish the authentic and historic character of the 
Bible. While no one of these lines of proof alone, 
may be entirely satisfactory to every person, taken 
together, like the many strands of a cable, they 
form a mass of evidence so strong and cumulative 
as to produce in any unprejudiced mind, an irresist- 
ible conviction of the fidelity of the sacred writers 
to the truth. 

Among these varied confirmations, few are 
stronger or more conclusive than those furnished by 
a comparison of the Land with the Book. Modern 
discoveries have shown that the topographical fea- 
tures of the country correspond minutely with the 
references and descriptions found in the Bible. 
Hor should it surprise us that the discovery of long 
lost historic sites in Palestine should do no less for 
tbe literature of that country than similar discover- 
33 


34 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


ies have done for the literature of Italy and Greece. 
A mighty eruption of Vesuvius buried Pompeii in 
the first century of our era. A record of the fact 
was made, hut afterward the site of the city was 
lost or forgotten and so remained for hundreds of 
years. “ Yesterday,” says a writer, “ strong arms 
went out with spade and pick; to-day the streets 
of Pompeii, its forum, suburbs, baths, dwellings, 
and theaters, its people and their customs, are all 
before our gaze. Classic art, long-buried, is sifted 
out of her ashy grave, and steps forth from her 
winding-sheet of fire. So, too, the Forum of an- 
cient Rome, the palace of the Caesars, the Punic 
and other edifices of Africa, are dug up and com- 
pelled to speak out in attestation of the veracity of 
those who penned their annals.” 

Yet, striking as are these confirmations in ancient 
writers in profane history, they bear no compari- 
son with those everywhere to be met with in Bible 
countries. Yo one who visits them can fail to be 
impressed by the constant agreement between the 
Land and the Book. The one is the complement of 
the other. In this fact one of the principal charms 
of travel in Bible lands is to be found. Traces of 
the chosen people are everywhere to be seen. 

One would naturally expect the various writers 
of the Bible to make frequent references to the 
'physical features of the country or countries wherein 


HARMONY OF LAND AND BOOK 


35 


the transactions which they record took place. One 
would expect to find allusions here and there to the 
rivers and lakes, to the mountains and plains of 
the land, and to the mode of life and habits of the 
people. This expectation is realized. Sometimes 
there are detailed descriptions of places, while in 
the prophecy and poetry of the Bible there is a rich 
and suggestive imagery which has its groundwork 
largely in the physical features of the land. 
“ There is one document in the Old Testament 
Scripture in particular,” says Dean Stanley, (Sinai 
and Palestine, p. 11), “ to which there is probably 
no parallel in the topographical records of any 
country. In the book of Joshua we have what 
may be termed the Doomsday Book of the Conquest 
of Canaan. Ten chapters (xiii-xxii) are devoted 
to a description of the country. Hot only are its 
general features and boundaries laid down, but the 
names and situations of its towns and villages are 
enumerated with a precision of geographical terms 
which invites and compels a minute investigation.” 

How inasmuch as the general physical features 
of a country are not likely very materially to change 
through the ages, such allusions as these, written, 
as they were, centuries ago, may in large measure 
be verified or disproved by a study of the country 
itself. There has been a vast deal of such examina- 
tion and study, especially during the past genera- 
tion or two. Almost every square mile of the ter- 


36 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


ritory has been accurately surveyed ; ruins of cities 
of the Bible times have repeatedly been discovered 
and identified; while archseological proofs in regard 
to the ancient condition of the country and the 
people have been constantly multiplying. In these 
ways a correspondence has been discovered between 
the Land and the Book which has been most strik- 
ing, and the general fidelity of the sacred writers 
to the circumstances of time and place established 
beyond a question. All the mountains and valleys 
and plains, all the rivers and lakes of the Bible have 
been correctly located. The correspondence between 
the site and its description has been found to be 
perfect. This is the more surprising when we re- 
member how numerous are the authors of the Bible, 
and that centuries are covered by their writings. 
This cannot be said of any other of the historical 
writings of the past. Most, if not all of them, are 
notoriously inaccurate. But the researches of 
modern antiquarians have all tended to confirm and 
illustrate the local allusions and historical state- 
ments of the Bible. 

It cannot fail to strengthen our confidence in 
the fidelity of the sacred writers to the truth, to 
call attention to some of these correspondences in 
particular. 

For several miles inland from the Mediterranean, 
along the entire western coast of the country, the 


HARMONY OF LAND AND BOOK 


37 


land is low and level, save where the bold ridge of 
Carmel crosses it and projects into the sea. All 
the central part of Palestine, throughout its entire 
length, is hilly and mountainous, except where it 
is cut asunder by the plain of Esdraelon. On the 
east side there is a rapid descent to the valley of 
the Jordan. At the south the country gradually 
slopes off toward the desert region. In these facts 
the accuracy of many expressions in Scripture in 
regard to “ going up ” and “ going down ” is es- 
tablished. As one journeys from Jaffa on the 
coast, to Jerusalem, which is 2,500 feet above the 
sea level, the road is all the way upward, as every 
road, indeed, toward the Holy City, is, save that 
from Bethlehem. “ Behold, we go up to Jerusa- 
lem/’ (Matt. xx:18). “ It is too much for you to 

go up to Jerusalem/’ (I Kings xii:28). “ I 

(Paul) went up to Jerusalem,” (Gal. i:18). The 
traveler in the parable of the Good Samaritan, 
(Luke x:30), “went down,” or “was going 
down ” from Jerusalem to Jericho. Jericho was 
located in the plain of the Jordan which is some 
3,500 feet below Jerusalem. The descent of the 
hilly and barren road which leads from Jerusalem 
to it is very marked. This road anciently was rob- 
ber-haunted, as the parable referred to indicates, 
and it is no less so to-day. Guards are necessary 
at the present time for the protection of those who 
use it. 


38 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


Prom the beginning to the end of the Bible, the 
invariable expressions for a journey between Egypt 
and Canaan are : — “ down into Egypt,” and “ up 
out of Egypt.” “ Abram went down into Egypt,” 
(Gen. xii :10). “ My people went down at the first 
into Egypt,” (Isa. lii:4). The topographical fea- 
tures of the two countries confirm these expressions. 
Joshua’s army “ went up ” against Ai, (map), i. e. 
from the Jericho plain to the mountainous region a 
few miles to the northwest, where Ai was located, 
(Josh. vii:4). Samson “ went down” among the 
Philistines, i. e. into the low country adjoining 
the seashore which the Philistines occupied, 
(Judges xiv:l). Jacob was commanded to “go 
up ” from the plain near Shechem to Bethel, (Gen. 
xxxv :1). The high priest Ananias “came down” 
from Jerusalem to Caesarea on the coast, with cer- 
tain elders, to inform against Paul, (Acts xxiv.l). 
Never have the Bible writers been found to be at 
fault in a single instance in the many references 
of this character which it contains. This would 
seem to give evidence of their thorough and personal 
familiarity with the localities to which they allude. 

All the allusions to the mountains of the Bible 
are found to be accurate. There is Mount Tabor, 
beautiful, oval-shaped, which rises from the plain of 
Esdraelon at the north, bearing its silent witness to 
the correctness of the Scripture which locates it 
here. It was from the summit of Tabor that De- 






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HARMONY OF LAND AND BOOK 


39 


borah and Barak looked down upon the hosts of the 
Canaanites which were marshaling in the plain, 
(Judges iv:4-9, 12-16). Mount Carmel bounds 
this plain for about fourteen miles at the southwest, 
presenting an abrupt side to the beholder from the 
north or east. It terminates in a bold promontory 
which projects into the Mediterranean. It was 
upon Carmel that Elijah had his memorable con- 
test with the priests of Baal, (I Kings xviii :20 and 
ff), and a plateau near the eastern extremity, 
somewhat lower than the rest of the mountain, and 
to which roads ascend from various directions, 
seems perfectly to correspond with the requirements 
of the narrative, even to the possibility of Ahab’s 
chariot ascending to it. Elijah afterward went up 
from here to the top of Carmel to pray, (I Kings 
xviii :42), and from this place of prayer he sent his 
servant seven times to look out over the sea for 
signs of rain. The river Kishon, into which the 
bodies of the slain priests were thrown, and which 
were soon washed away no doubt by the rising cur- 
rent after the rain, flows along the north base of the 
mountains to the sea, (I Kings xviii :40). The bed 
of this river is now dry in the summer season. It 
was across the Esdraelon plain that J ezreel — where 
Ahab had a palace — was located, to which the 
king was bidden by the prophet to drive before the 
rain set in, Elijah himself girding up his loins and 
running on before the chariot, (I Kings xviii :46). 


40 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


To one who has visited the mountain, everything 
seems perfectly to correspond with the description 
here given. 

It was to mounts Ebal and Gerizim, in the very 
heart of the country, that Joshua and his hosts, 
soon after their occupancy of the land, made 
their way in accordance with the directions of 
Moses before his death, to listen to the reading of 
the blessings and the cursings out of the law, (Josh. 
viii:33-35). The representation is that the two 
mountains are near to each other and that the peo- 
ple assembled in the valley between them. Thus 
we find them, bare and rocky, Ebal to the north, and 
Gerizim to the south, separated by a narrow valley 
running east and west. The question has been 
raised whether the human voice could be distinctly 
heard by the assembled multitude. The truth of the 
Scripture representation has frequently been ver- 
ified by actual experiment, showing that from a 
point in the center of the valley where the altar 
probably was and where the reading was done, a 
speaker with strong voice and distinct enunciation, 
is easily heard by those on either side up to the foot 
of the mountains. In the clear elastic air of Pales- 
tine, the transmission of sound is remarkable. 

A short distance to the eastward from the long 
and narrow city of Shechem, which occupies a por- 
tion of this valley, Jacob’s well is located. This 
has been identified with an almost assured cer- 


THE ENTRANCE TO JACOB’S WELL. 
The mouth of the well is inside the entrance 





















































































































































































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HARMONY OF LAND AND BOOK 


41 


tainty. No one, indeed, disputes its genuineness. 
It was here that the Savior and His disciples halted 
for their noonday rest and lunch, on their journey 
from Judea to Galilee, and here occurred the con- 
versation with the woman of Samaria as recorded 
in the fourth chapter of John’s gospel. In the 
course of that conversation she said, “ Our fathers 
worshiped in this mountain,” (John iv:20), and 
sure enough Gerizim rises near at hand, on whose 
summit there was anciently a Samaritan temple. 
Among the ruins of a structure of more recent date, 
some of the foundation stones of a very ancient tem- 
ple — very likely the place of worship here referred 
to — are pointed out. To one who reads the narra- 
tive on the spot, the surroundings seem natural and 
perfectly to fit the situation. 

The same may be said of other mountains and 
hills of the Holy Land. There is Mount Her- 
mon to the north, with its snow-crowned summit, 
overlooking the country. There is Mount Olivet, 
too, just east of Jerusalem, to which Jesus often 
repaired, from which, as He came up from Jericho 
on His last journey — beholding Jerusalem, He 
wept over it, (Luke xix:41). From its summit He 
ascended, (Luke xxiv:51). Mountains (or hills) 
are “ round about Jerusalem ” as the Psalmist de- 
clares, (Ps. cxxv:2). Cities were usually located 
upon hilltops, as they are to-day. 

The number of panoramic views which present 


42 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


themselves to the traveler in Palestine is remark- 
able. Such views are frequently alluded to in Bi- 
ble history. To one standing on Mount Ebal in 
Samaria, the southern heights around Jerusalem 
are visible, and northward there is a clear view of 
Hermon. One gains a grand view from Tabor, 
which overlooks the plain of Esdraelon, and one of 
surpassing interest from Carmel. Hermon has 
been seen from the plain of the Jordan; one writer 
says it is visible on a clear day from the southern 
end of the Dead Sea. The view from the summit 
of Mount Hermon over the country both to the 
west and to the east of the Jordan is magnificent. 
Even apart from the associations of the land in- 
cluded in this view, it has been pronounced one of 
the finest views which the world affords. One view 
referred to in the Bible might well stagger our con- 
fidence, were not the possibility of it illustrated by 
what may be seen in the country to-day. It is 
stated that from Nebo, the top of Pisgah, Moses 
overlooked the whole country from its southernmost 
limit, to Dan at the foot of Hermon on the north, 
with its whole width to the sea, and that portion of 
the region to the northeast which the two and a half 
tribes occupied, (Deut. xxxiv:l-4). Yet incredible 
as this may seem, views of corresponding extent 
have been gained in recent years from some of the 
heights of Pisgah. The precise point of Moses’ 
outlook over the land has not as yet been certainly 


HARMONY OF LAND AND BOOK 


43 


identified. The atmosphere in Palestine is wonder- 
fully clear, for which reason distant objects seem 
very near. The Scripture references to distance 
are in keeping with this unusual clearness of the 
air. Abraham saw Moriah “ afar off,” (Gen. xxii: 
4). The prodigal son, in the parable, was seen 
“afar off,” (Luke xv:20), while Christ in His 
temptation had a vision of the kingdoms of the 
world, (Matt. iv:8). 

The same fidelity to the facts of the country 
appears in the Scripture references to the valleys 
and plains of Palestine. The plain of Moab to the 
east of the Jordan is the only place where such a 
host as that of Israel could rendezvous advanta- 
geously for the invasion of the land of promise 
from that quarter. The plain of the J ordan, or the 
Jericho plain, to the west of the river, afforded a 
corresponding opportunity for concentration after 
crossing it. To the east of Bethlehem is the little 
plain where, probably, Ruth gleaned, (Ruth i:19, 
ii :3— 6), and, later, the shepherds were “keeping 
watch by night over their flock,” (Luke ii:8). A 
little plain about a mile in width bordering on the 
west shore of the Sea of Galilee for two and a-half 
miles, corresponds precisely in location with the 
plain of Genesaret which is mentioned in the Gos- 
pels, (Matt. xiv:34, Mark vi:53). The plain of 
Esdraelon, extending from the Mediterranean Sea 
to the Jordan, cutting the mountainous interior of 


44 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


the country into two sections, has long been the 
gathering place of armies, not only in Bible times, 
but since. The maritime plain along the Mediter- 
ranean coast embraces the land of the Philistines to 
the south, and the plain of Sharon to the north of 
this and extending as far as Carmel. A little far- 
ther north we come to the region of Tyre and Sidon, 
which is but an extension of the plain already de- 
scribed. The armies of Egypt at the southwest, 
and of the empires to the northeast and eastward, 
marched over this plain rather than attempt a pas- 
sage through the mountainous regions of the inte- 
rior. It may have been the ripening fields of 
grain on the little plain just east of Shechem 
which suggested the Savior’s remark as He talked 
with the woman at J acob’s well, “ Look on the 
fields, that they are white already unto harvest,” 
(John iv:35). 

Another plain which, though small, is exceedingly 
interesting from its associations, is that of Dothan. 
Here it was that Joseph was sold by his brethren 
to a company of Ishmaelites on their way to Egypt. 
A caravan route from Damascus to Egypt passed 
through this plain. It is a fertile valley of just the 
character to attract a company of shepherds like 
Joseph’s brethren, in search of good pasturage. It 
is about five miles long, and from one to one and 
a-half miles wide. Even now visiting travelers 
frequently see camel trains making their slow and 


HARMONY OF LAND AND BOOK 


45 


majestic way along the caravan route toward Egypt, 
perhaps pausing for water from the wells which 
are here, and which give the plain its name. 
Everything corresponds wfith the scene of Joseph’s 
sale as given us in Genesis, (Gen. xxxvii:17, 28). 

Many are the Scripture references to the Sea of 
Galilee, in the vicinity of which our Lord’s public 
life was mostly spent. On its shores stood Caper- 
naum, “his own city,” (Matt. ix:l). Here the 
Savior called His first disciples from their occupa- 
tion as fishermen to make them fishers of men. 
Hear its shores He spoke many of His parables and 
performed many of His miracles. This region was 
then the most densely populated part of Palestine. 
There were nine cities on the borders of the lake, 
while numerous large villages dotted the plains and 
hillsides round about. The populous little plain of 
Gennesaret bordered it on the west. The numer- 
ous ruins about the lake attest the existence of these 
cities, just as the Scriptures intimate. Tiberias, 
at the southwest, is the only town left on its bor- 
ders, and this is only once mentioned in the Bible, 
(John vi:23). 

In the Scripture references to this lake, moun- 
tains are spoken of as near at hand. We find it 
surrounded by them on all sides, at least by steep 
descents from table-lands which, to the eastward are 
2,000 feet above. Erom some point on the eastern 
shore we read that a herd of swine, impelled by the 


46 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


legion of devils which had entered into them, 
rushed violently down, plunged headlong into the 
sea, and were drowned, (Matt. viii:32). There is 
one place where this could have been possible. 
Then, too, there are rock-hewn tombs in the moun- 
tains hereabout, as in other places through the coun- 
try, where demoniacs, abandoning the society and 
habitations of men, would very naturally seek shel- 
ter, (Matt. viii:28). The lake itself still abounds 
in fish, as when Peter said : “ I go a-fishing,” 

(John xxi:3), although comparatively little fishing 
is now done. 

Sudden storms, such as more than once over- 
took the disciples, (John vi:18) are yet common on 
the lake. Various travelers have noted this. A 
recent experience verifies it. A storm — a squall 
of wind and rain — suddenly arose and swept over 
the entire length of the lake along its eastern shore, 
or more accurately, it “ came down ” upon the lake, 
as the Scripture has it, (Luke viii:23), — i. e. from 
the heights above. Soon the sea was in commotion, 
the waves grew larger and more angry, and white- 
caps appeared. After the storm had passed, the 
waves quieted down almost as quickly as they had 
been stirred. The natives to-day shrink from ven- 
turing far from shore in their wretched boats, fear- 
ing these sudden storms which they cannot fore- 
see — as the disciples could not — which sweep 
down upon the lake through the narrow ravines 


HARMONY OF LAND AND BOOK 47 

or wadies which cut through the hills. All the 
Scripture references to this little sea and the coun- 
try adjacent become wonderfully vivid after one 
has visited them. 

Although there are but few references in the 
Bible to what is now called the Dead Sea, into 
which the Jordan flows, nor yet to the little lake 
a few miles north of the Sea of Galilee, which now 
goes by the name of Lake Huleh, yet everything 
about both of them harmonizes with these refer- 
ences. The former is called in the Bible the " Salt 
Sea,” (Josh. xviii:19), the latter the “ waters of 
Merom,” (Josh. xi:5). It was near the latter 
that Joshua fought with the combined kings of the 
north and defeated them, (Josh. xi:8). The fre- 
quent allusions of Scripture to the “ Great Sea ” 
find their counterpart in the Mediterranean, which 
forms the western boundary of the land. 

The sites of many of the cities and towns of 
Bible times have been identified. Ho one ques- 
tions that. Jaffa is the Joppa of the Bible. Bethle- 
hem, the city of David, is located on a hill a few 
miles south of Jerusalem. Here Christ was born. 
To this place the wise men came from the east. 
Ho one questions the genuineness of this location. 
There may be some question as to the “ sacred 
places ” which are pointed out within the city, but 
none as to the location of the city itself. The same 
may be said of Hazareth, whose location is not in 


48 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


doubt. Other cities which may be mentioned are 
Hebron, Shechem, Samaria. These localities have 
never been disputed. But no city is oftener re- 
ferred to in Scripture, as none was the scene of 
more important events, than Jerusalem. To it the 
tribes came up for their yearly festivals, here Solo- 
mon reared his magnificent temple, here prophets 
denounced the sins of the people, here battles were 
fought and the city frequently laid waste, here 
Jesus mingled among men, here He taught in the 
temple, here He was crucified, here He rose from 
the tomb, from Olivet hard by He ascended. Here 
the mighty scenes of Pentecost, where thousands 
were converted, were enacted, here Paul was ar- 
rested, and here, even yet, Jews wail on set days 
over the departed glory of the place. There have 
been changes during the centuries — the depres- 
sions between the hills on which the city stands 
have been largely filled up by the accumulated rub- 
bish of the city and from its repeated destructions. 
The walls, several times rebuilt since Christ’s day, 
are not, with the exception of the east wall, in 
precisely the place they then occupied, yet in gen- 
eral location, and in all the topographical sur- 
roundings of the city, everything is just as set forth 
in the sacred Word. It is “ beautiful in eleva- 
tion,” as the Psalmist describes it, (Ps. xlviii:2). 
There is the brook Kidron to the east of it, which 
must be crossed in going to and from the Mount 


HARMONY OF LAND AND BOOK 


49 


of Olives, (John xviiiil). The valley of Hinnom 
is to the south and west. Mountains and hills are 
roundabout, as Scripture declares, (Ps. cxxv:2), 
while the different elevations of the city itself, as 
Zion, Moriah, and others, are still to he distin- 
guished. That the city was a military stronghold 
is evident from studying the situation, to say noth- 
ing of constant intimations in the Scriptures. The 
excavations of recent years have thrown much light 
upon its topography. Doubtless in time all the 
vexed questions about important sites in and around 
it will be settled. 

The ruins of Palestine contribute not a little in 
the way of testimony to the reality of “ the Book ” 
and the truthfulness of its representations. It is 
not a land of such notable ruins as Greece, or Italy, 
or Egypt, yet no land, perhaps, more abounds in 
them. In sections of Judea, for instance, where 
now for miles there is little appearance of life or 
habitation, there is hardly a hilltop which is not 
crowned by the vestiges, more or less distinct and 
definite, of some fortress, or city, or town of former 
ages. These ruins indicate conclusively, by their 
character and number, the existence of a populous 
civilized life in ancient times, just as many Scrip- 
ture statements would lead us to infer; while there 
are evidences on every side that the land was once 
capable of sustaining a dense population. The dis- 
appearance largely of the forest growth with which 


50 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


the mountains and hills were once covered, must 
have had its effect upon the climate, diminishing 
the rainfall as is usual in such cases, and leaving 
the land more exposed than formerly to the ravages 
of the drought. In its ancient condition, the land 
might naturally have seemed to the Israelites, after 
their long wilderness life, and in comparison with 
it, to be a land which “ floweth with milk and 
honey,” (Hum. xiii:27). 

The representation of early Old Testament his- 
tory is that the cities of Palestine were “ great and 
fortified up to heaven,” (Deut, i:28). It was 
these which so terrified the Israelitish spies. But 
cities then were usually located on hills and had 
high walls about them. These heights of the land 
were also utilized as natural altars. Hence the 
“ high places ” which were associated with the pa- 
gan worship of the people, (Lev. xxvi:30). 

Many ruins are seen about the Sea of Galilee 
confirming the existence of numerous cities there 
in the olden time. The exact site of Capernaum 
is not yet absolutely determined. It was either 
in or close by the plain of Gennesaret bordering 
on the lake. Samaria, the ancient capital of the 
Ten Tribes, or Northern Kingdom, was located on 
an isolated hill 400 feet high in the midst of an 
extensive valley or amphitheater. When defended 
by a competent force it was virtually impregnable. 
It was taken finally only by starving the inhabit- 


HARMONY OF LAND AND BOOK 51 

ants into a surrender. How only a miserable lit- 
tle village occupies the commanding site, although 
a number of granite columns which Herod the 
Great erected around the brow of the hill in re- 
building it, are still standing. Ho vestige of the 
original Tyre remains save foundation walls which 
are occasionally brought to light by digging. The 
modern town occupies the north half of what was 
once the island. During his memorable siege of 
the city, Alexander the Great converted this island 
into a cape. The present city of Sidon, with a 
population of about 10,000, unquestionably occu- 
pies the same site as the original city. Caesarea, 
once the political capital of Judea, is no more, but 
the ruins indicate the existence there formerly of 
an important city. The locations of numerous 
places of lesser note than these have also been 
identified. 

If we pass beyond the Jordan into the region of 
the Hauran, or go among the Lebanon mountains, 
we shall find still further confirmatory testimony 
to the Bible from existing ruins, although of a 
somewhat different character from that already 
noticed. In the Hauran, ancient cities remain in 
a state of preservation which has no parallel. 
They are deserted, ruined, yet almost entire — as 
much so as the city of Pompeii in its excavated 
state. Many of them though deserted for cen- 
turies, still maintain their massive walls. There 


52 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


seems, however, to be some ground for questioning 
whether the date of these ruins reaches back as far 
as New Testament times. Of immense structures, 
there are none to be found save in Egypt which 
are at all comparable with the ruins of Baalbek in 
the northern part of the plain between the Lebanon 
and Anti-Lebanon, and the ruins of Palmyra in 
the desert to the northeast of Damascus. 

The climate and vegetation of Palestine afford 
evidences of the accuracy of the allusions of the 
Bible writers to them. It is a land of sunshine, 
and yet there is considerable variety of tempera- 
ture owing to difference of elevation in different 
parts. Mount Hermon has streaks of snow upon 
its summit even in midsummer, while at the Dead 
Sea the climate is tropical. The former is 9,200 
feet above the sea, the latter about 1,300 feet be- 
low it. The several seasons are not so distinctly 
marked as in countries farther to the north. The 
promise made to Noah as to “ seed time and har- 
vest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter,” 
(Gen. viii :22), indicate the leading features of the 
year. The rainless season makes a natural di- 
vision of two seasons, summer and winter. The 
important grain harvest occurs at the time of our 
spring, although various fruits, like grapes and 
olives, mature in what would be our fall. 

The references by Psalmists, prophets, and his- 
torians to the extreme heat of the midday sun and 


HARMONY OF LAND AND BOOK 


53 


to the dryness of summer, are verified by the ex- 
perience of travelers. One who has rested in the 
cool shade from the oppressive heat can appreciate 
such expressions as, “ the sun shall not smite thee 
by day,” (Ps. cxxi:6), “ neither shall the sun strike 
upon them, nor any heat,” (Rev. vii:16). The 
Bible writers were manifestly familiar, also, with 
the peculiarities of the climate, such for instance, 
as the character of the prevailing winds. The east 
wind was the one which withered vegetation, as in 
the case of Jonah’s gourd, (Jonah iv:8), and the 
corn in Pharaoh’s dream, which appeared as if 
“ blasted with the east wind,” (Gen. xli:6). The 
west wind is more refreshing. It is also the rain 
wind, as in the passage, “ When ye see a cloud ris- 
ing in the west, straightway ye say, There cometh 
a shower,” (Luke xii:54). Elijah’s servant looked 
over the Mediterranean from Mount Carmel to 
discover signs of rain, (I Kings xviii :43, 44). The 
explanation of this difference in the east and west 
winds is to be found in the fact of an extensive 
desert off to the east of Palestine, as well as of 
Egypt, which is the source of the dry and parch- 
ing winds from that quarter, while to the west of 
Palestine is the Mediterranean, which supplies the 
air with rain clouds. The fidelity of the sacred 
writers to the truth in these respects is thus con- 
firmed. 

Similarly with reference to vegetation. In the 


54 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


spring time there is a profusion of flowers, as when 
the writer of the “ Song of Solomon 77 said, “ I am 
a rose of Sharon, a lily of the valleys/ 7 (Song Sol. 
ii:l), “He feedeth his flock among the lilies/ 7 
(Song Sol. ii:16). Christ said: “Consider the 
lilies of the field/ 7 (Matt. vi:28), thus implying 
their abundance. The trees, too, add their con- 
firmation, although they are less numerous now 
than in the olden time. In the fable of the trees 
going forth to choose a king as given in the Old 
Testament, (Judges ix:7 and fi), the crown was 
first offered to the olive, next to the fig, next to the 
vine. And this is the order in which they still 
rank. The olive is by far the most important, as 
it is the most extensively cultivated. Olive groves 
are not uncommon. The fig-tree comes next, with 
its several crops each year. Next is the vine, 
which is frequently referred to, and which was 
cultivated from the earliest times. The bramble 
was of course worthless as the story itself indicates. 
Among other trees alluded to are the carob-tree, 
whose fruit — incorrectly rendered “ husks 77 in 
both the old version and the revised version — is 
represented as the food of the swine, which the 
prodigal would gladly have eaten, (Luke xv:16). 
This pod of the carob-tree is about four to six 
inches long and one inch broad, and is much like 
a pole bean in appearance. The palm-tree is not 
so common now as it was in Bible times. Stately, 


HARMONY OF LAND AND BOOK 


55 


upright, tall, with its large clusters of fruit, it is 
suggestive of various figures, as of rectitude, and 
the rewards of the righteous. “ The righteous 
shall flourish like the palm-tree, (Ps. xcii:12). 
“ Cedars of Lebanon ” are frequently mentioned. 
Had such trees been common in Palestine it would 
not have been necessary for Solomon to have sent 
to Hiram, king of Tyre, to procure timber from 
the Lebanon region for use in building the temple, 
(I Kings v:6). These trees were regarded with 
reverence by the Jews as being a special work of 
God, they being larger than any trees of their own 
land. The little cedar forest only a few acres in 
extent which still remains in the Lebanon region, 
though difficult to visit, is nevertheless exceedingly 
interesting. 

If now we turn our attention to other Bible lands 
than Palestine proper — some adjacent, some re- 
mote — which were the scenes of various Scrip- 
ture events or the subject of Scripture references, 
we shall find the same correspondence between them 
and the Book, the same evidence of fidelity on the 
part of the sacred writers. Eeferences to Damas- 
cus, capital of ancient Syria, perhaps the oldest city 
in the world, meet us from the earliest Bible times. 
Paul’s conversion occurred when he was nearing 
it, (Acts ix:3 and ff). After that he was led 
into the city, where he abode with a certain man 


56 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


named Judas in the “ street which is called 
Straight/’ (Acts ix:ll), where Ananias found him. 
From secular records it appears that then and for 
a long time afterward, a noble street extended in 
a straight line through the city — a mile in length, 
and a hundred feet wide. Remains of the two 
colonnades which divided it into three sections are 
to be seen scattered along the line of the present 
street, which still bears the name Straight, and 
which is believed to be the same, or nearly the 
same, in location, with the one of old. The pres- 
ent street, however, is narrow. Evidently the 
shops have gradually encroached upon it and added 
to its irregularity. At the western terminus of the 
street, the grand Roman Portal of the olden time, 
and through which Paul doubtless passed in en- 
tering the city, may be traced in outline. 

The river Barada, the “ Abana ” of ancient 
Scripture, is a swift-flowing stream, and the main 
source of the beauty and fertility of the Damascus 
plain through which it flows. The river Jordan, 
shallow and riley, bears no comparison with it in 
the purity and freshness of its waters. Well might 
Naaman, the Syrian leper, ask the messenger of 
Elisha : “ Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers 

of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? 
May I not wash in them (instead of the Jordan) 
and be clean? ” (II Kings v:12). 

An interesting study in connection with the sub- 


HARMONY OF LAND AND BOOK 


57 


ject before us is the account of Paul’s missionary 
journeys. West of the conspicuous Acropolis of 
Athens, a short distance away, is a smaller eminence 
— a huge rock rising abruptly on its south side 
30 feet, and 40 feet on its north side, and about 
600 feet long. It is called Mars Hill, and on 
top of it the council of Areopagus was accustomed 
to hold its sessions. The Agora or market-place 
lay immediately to the south of it. Hear the east- 
ern end of the hill is a flight of steps cut in the 
rock and leading from the market-place to the 
top. Most of the original twenty-one steps are still 
traceable, some of them being almost perfect. 
Hear the head of this stairway a considerable space 
has been cut away in the rock, leaving a kind of 
bench around it as if intended for seats. Here it 
is believed the judges held their court. Here it 
is also believed Paul repaired after he had dis- 
puted with the people in the market-place, and had 
been invited to explain to the philosophers still 
further in regard to his new doctrines. To read 
here the account of Paul’s visit to Athens, and 
his address beginning: “ Ye men of Athens,” 
is exceedingly interesting, and gives a sense of real- 
ity to the scene as described in the Acts, (Acts 
xvii :16-31). 

At Ephesus there is little else than ruins at the 
present time. The outline of the open theater, cut 
out from the side of a hill, is clearly to be recog- 


58 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


nized even yet, while the excavations of recent 
years have brought to light the ruins of the once 
magnificent temple of the pagan goddess Diana, 
(Acts xix). Then there is Paul’s voyage to 
Rome on the Mediterranean. The account of it, 
and of the shipwreck, as given in the book of Acts, 
(ch. xxvii), is manifestly the report of an eyewit- 
ness, and he a landsman. The statements made 
have been verified in every particular, so far as it is 
possible to verify such details as are given. The 
mountainous character of the island of Crete, (v. 
13), was such as would afford protection on its 
south side from the storm which blew from the 
north and northeast at the time the vessel in which 
Paul was sailing reached it. A little island, cor- 
responding with Cauda, (v. 16), lies a short dis- 
tance to the south of the mainland of Crete, just 
the location which we should expect to find from 
the narrative. After two weeks of drifting in the 
fearful storm which prevailed and during which 
there was constant danger that the craft would 
founder, it drew near to some shore, as was judged, 
because of the sound of breakers in the distance. 
Almost all Biblical scholars agree that the ship- 
wreck took place in what is the present St. Paul’s 
Bay of the island of Malta, then called Melita, 
(Acts xxviii:l). The correspondence between the 
place and the Scripture account of the wreck, has 
often been noted. All the requirements of the 


HARMONY OF LAND AND BOOK 


59 


narrative are met. Moreover the island of Malta 
is in the direct line of ships sailing from Alexan- 
dria to Italy. So we do not wonder at learning 
that a corn ship from the former place was winter- 
ing there. On this Paul took passage, still a 
prisoner, to go as far as Puteoli, (Acts xxviii:13), 
which is near the present Naples. Here at Pu- 
teoli was an immense mole or pier, consisting of 
twenty-five arches of solid masonry. Of these, the 
ruins of thirteen yet remain, some of them quite 
well preserved. It was upon this pier, undoubt- 
edly, that Paul disembarked. 

Later Paul set out for Pome, evidently going by 
the Appian Way, (Acts xxviii :15), one of the oldest 
and most frequented and famous of the paved roads 
extending from Pome to different parts of Italy. 
There are many things of deep interest to the 
Christian student in Pome, but aside from the fact 
that here “ Paul was suffered to abide by him- 
self, ^ ” (Acts xxviii :16), though under guard, and 
that from this city he wrote several of his epistles, 
there is little which is certainly known in regard to 
the locality of the apostle’s house, or of the prison in 
which he was afterward incarcerated. The Arch 
of Titus which was constructed later to com- 
memorate Titus’ conquest of Jerusalem in the year 
70 A. D., still stands, quite well preserved. On 
one side, within the passageway beneath, or 
through it, is a group of sculptured figures repre- 


60 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


senting the Jews carrying golden candlesticks and 
the golden table of shewbread on bars of wood cov- 
ered with gold. The representation corresponds 
perfectly with the description of these vessels in 
Exodus. They were taken from the Temple at Je- 
rusalem and brought to Rome by its conqueror. 

Nineveh and Babylon are referred to chiefly in 
the Old Testament. Recent excavations testify to 
their greatness. Of Egypt, where the customs of 
to-day are largely the same as those in the time of 
Moses and before, Sir Samuel W. Baker, a cele- 
brated English tourist, referring to the customs of 
the native tribes, says : “ This striking similarity 

to the descriptions in the Old Testament, is exceed- 
ingly interesting to a traveler when residing among 
these curious and original people. With the Bible 
in one hand, and these unchanged tribes before 
the eyes, there is a thrilling illustration of the sa- 
cred record ; the past becomes the present ; the veil 
of 3,000 years is raised, and the living picture is 
a witness to the exactness of the historical descrip- 
tion.” Sinai was just the place for the solemn 
and sacred scene of giving the law. There is strik- 
ing correspondence between the wild surroundings 
of that region to-day and the description of that 
notable event in the book of Exodus, (ch. xix). 

But illustrations of the thought with which we 
started out, viz: the topographical and other con- 
firmations of Scripture to be found in Bible lands 


HARMONY OF LAND AND BOOK 


61 


to-day, and the light they throw upon it, might he 
indefinitely continued. Illustrations are to be 
found on every hand. Those which have been 
given show conclusively that the Land and the 
Book fit perfectly into each other, that the one is 
the complement of the other. The accuracy of 
the records is confirmed. The natural and in- 
evitable inference is, that if the Bible writers, often 
hundreds of years apart, were so minutely accurate 
in all their references and incidental allusions to 
the topographical features of the land, a similar 
and even more scrupulous regard for the truth 
would he likely to characterize their testimony with 
reference to events vastly more important, even 
those which are of infinite moment to all mankind, 
which relate to our highest interests both here and 
hereafter, particularly those which gather about 
the life and teachings, the death and resurrection 
of our Lord Jesus Christ. When we reflect that 
this argument for the truth of Scripture is but one 
of many strands of the cable which holds the an- 
chor of our faith, there is certainly abundant 
ground for the conviction that confidence in the 
Christ of the Gospels, and in His Word of truth, 
rests upon an absolutely immovable foundation. 

Many a skeptic has been profoundly impressed 
by a visit to the Holy Land. Such was the case 
with the celebrated French rationalist, Renan. 
He sums up his impressions in these words : “ The 


62, 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


scientific commission for the exploration of ancient 
Phoenicia of which I was director in 1860 and 
1861, led me to reside on the frontiers of Galilee, 
and to traverse it frequently. I have traveled 
through the evangelical province in every direction. 
I have visited Jerusalem, Hebron, and Samaria; 
scarcely any locality important in the history of 
Jesus has escaped me. All this history, which, at 
a distance, seems floating in the clouds of an un- 
real world, thus assumed a body, a solidity, which 
astonished me. The striking accord of the texts 
and the places, the wonderful harmony of the evan- 
gelical ideal with the landscape which served as its 
setting, were to me as a revelation. I had before 
my eyes a fifth Gospel — torn, hut legible, and 
thenceforth, through the narrations of Matthew and 
Mark, instead of an abstract being which one should 
say had never existed, I saw a wonderful human 
form live and move.” 


CHAPTER III 


MANNERS AND CUSTOMS 

W HOEVER travels through Palestine, Bible 
in hand, can hardly fail to he impressed 
by the fact that apart from any theories of in- 
spiration or of supernatural revelations, its con- 
tents and its form are strictly in accordance with 
the character of the land in which it had its origin. 
Its roots are in the state of things which prevailed 
among the Jewish people at the time when it was 
written. The customs, the conditions of society, 
the circumstances of the time, form the background 
of the sacred Word. The Bible is something more 
than a natural product, but on its human side it 
is as truly a natural development of the Jewish 
people, as other literatures have been the natural 
outgrowths of the people they represent. In or- 
der properly to appreciate the Bible, we need to 
understand the conditions out of which it sprung. 
We need to place ourselves back in the times in 
which it was written. Especially is it important 
to understand the manners and customs which pre- 
vailed during its composition, since many of them, 
63 


64 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


differing widely from our own, are frequently re- 
ferred to as if well understood. Such knowledge 
contributes much to an intelligent comprehension 
of the Scriptures. 

Oriental customs of to-day are mainly the same 
as those of ancient times. There has been little 
change in this respect. This is particularly true 
in Bible lands. For the most part these cus- 
toms still exist in their original integrity. The 
modes of life of the patriarchal era find their coun- 
terpart largely in what may be seen among the 
peasant population of those lands to-day. One 
who lived among them many years has graphically 
said : “ Manners, customs, usages, all that you can 

set down to the score of the national, the social, 
or the conventional, are precisely as different from 
yours, as the East is from the West. They sit 
when you stand ; they lie when you sit ; they do to 
the head what you do to the feet; you shave the 
beard, they shave the head ; you remove the hat, 
they touch the breast; you use the lips in saluta- 
tion, they touch the forehead and cheek ; your 
house looks outward, their’s look inward; you go 
out to take a walk, they go up to the flat roof to 
enjoy the fresh air; you bring your daughters out, 
they keep their wives and daughters in ; your ladies 
go barefaced, their ladies are always covered.” 
Not a day passes with the observant traveler in 


MANNERS AND CUSTOMS 


65 


which new significance is not imparted to some pas- 
sage of Scripture by what is seen in the common 
life of the simple inhabitants. 

To the American traveler in the Holy Land, 
nothing contrasts more strongly with the aspect of 
his own country than the appearance of the houses. 
None are built of wood, there are no shingled or 
slated roofs, chimneys are unseen, both fireplaces 
and stoves are unknown. The building material 
of the country is either stone or sun-dried bricks; 
hewed stone is used for the better structures, rough 
stone for the rest. Frequently a stone stairway 
on the outside leads to the roof, which is always 
flat, as was the case in Bible times. The question 
was once raised in a Sunday School class of boys 
as to how it was possible for David to walk upon 
the roof of his house, the teacher and all the class 
supposing that the roofs of houses in Palestine 
were like those in this country. The teacher 
looked wise and solemn and reprimanded the hoys, 
saying: “You should not cavil at the Word of 
God.” Another teacher who had overheard the 
discussion said to the first one, later : “ You should 

not have answered the hoys in that way ; you ought 
rather to have said : * It might he impossible for 

man, unaided, to do so, but with God all things 
are possible.* ” With a better understanding of 
Oriental architectural customs, there would have 


66 SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 

been no occasion for resorting to that kind of an 
explanation. 

These flat roofs are usually constructed by first 
laying large beams across from wall to wall, then 
rude joists, on which are arranged small poles 
placed close together, or brushwood. This is cov- 
ered with a layer of heather and reeds, and upon 
this, earth is spread to the thickness of several 
inches, which is trodden or rolled hard. This roll- 
ing is often repeated as these roofs are apt to leak. 
For this purpose a stone roller is often kept ready 
for use on the roofs of the houses. Grass is fre- 
quently seen growing on these roofs. Thus we 
see the force of what the Psalmist says of all that 
hate Zion : “ Let them be as the grass upon the 

housetops, which withereth before it groweth up,” 
(Ps. cxxix:6). While a starting place for the grass 
is afforded by the earth on the roof, the frequent use 
of the roller and the trampling of feet give it but 
a poor chance of life. 

With roofs thus constructed, a heavy shower 
naturally soon finds its way through. The drops 
trickling down into the room below render it very 
uncomfortable if not actually uninhabitable. This 
gives significance to the proverb of the wise man: 
“ A continual dropping in a very rainy day and 
a contentious woman are alike,” (Prov. xxvii:15). 

It is customary to build arbors or booths of reeds 
or branches of trees on these flat roofs for the pur- 


MANNERS AND CUSTOMS 


67 


pose of shade and shelter, or for rest during the 
oppressive heat of the daytime in summer. Often, 
too, the roof is used as a sleeping place at night, 
and these booths form chambers when the occu- 
pants do not use the open roof. These booths, 
while excellent for the purposes for which they were 
designed, would of course be very undesirable as 
a place of permanent residence. They would af- 
ford little protection from rain and cold. And yet 
the wise man thinks that such a place as this even, 
would be preferable to a large house with plenty 
of room and all conveniences, with an uncongenial, 
noisy, quarrelsome spirit for companionship. “ It 
is better,” he says, “ to dwell in the corner of the 
housetop, than with a contentious woman in a wide 
house,” (Prov. xxi :9). The upper room or “ cham- 
ber,” to which there are several Scripture refer- 
ences, was simply a permanent form of the booth 
or arbor. When several rooms were thus built on 
the roof, it became the summer house, in contrast 
with the winter house down stairs, (see II Kings 
iv:10, Mark xiv:15, Acts i:13, ix:37, xx:8). 

Among the peasantry, one of the chief uses of 
the flat roof is for the drying of grain, summer 
fruits, and fuel for winter use. Frequently in 
passing through the country to-day, one sees grain 
of some kind thus spread out on the roof. Thus 
we see how the stalks of flax upon the roof of 
Rahab’s house, placed there probably to dry, could 


68 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


afford a convenient hiding place for the spies of 
Joshua. “ She had brought them,” we read, “ up 
to the roof, and hid them with the stalks of flax, 
which she had laid in order upon the roof,” (Josh. 
ii:6). Samuel “communed with Saul upon the 
housetop,” (I Sam. ix:25) — a very suitable place 
for conference, as it was the resort also of families 
in the cool of evening for air and exercise, or was 
resorted to in times of public calamity for pur- 
poses of lamentation, (Jer. xlviii:38). Around the 
edge of the roofs of some of these houses, there is 
a low wall or battlement to prevent persons from 
falling off. Ages before, Moses had given direc- 
tions that the houses should he so built. “ When 
thou buildest a new house, then thou shalt make a 
battlement for thy roof, that thou bring not blood 
upon thy house, if any man fall from thence,” 
(Deut. xxii:8). Such a wall as this might have 
served as a screen from observation when people 
went up to the housetop to pray, as Peter did at 
Joppa at the sixth hour, when he fell into a trance 
and beheld the vision of “ all manner of four- 
footed beasts and creeping things of the earth and 
birds of the heaven ” in “ a certain vessel descend- 
ing as it were a great sheet, let down by four cor- 
ners upon the earth,” from the open heaven, (Acts 
x:ll, 12) — a vision which taught him a lesson 
of tolerance toward the Gentiles, and prepared him 


MANNERS AND CUSTOMS 


69 


to respond to the call of Cornelius, the Roman cen- 
turion, at Caesarea, (Acts x:22). 

Almost all the inhabitants of Palestine — and 
the same is true in most oriental lands — have 
their homes in cities and villages. Pew houses are 
seen in the open country. This custom of congre- 
gating in towns and cities undoubtedly grew out 
of the needs of the times ages ago, and are felt even 
yet. One of the chief reasons for this was the un- 
settled state of the country. Dwelling thus closely 
together, the people would be more secure against 
attack from pillaging and marauding bands. They 
could defend themselves and their possessions the 
more readily. Another reason was the necessity of 
water. Hence a fountain or spring often gave its 
name to the village which was built beside it. The 
land does not abound in springs and streams as 
is the case in some portions of our own country. 
They are few and far between. Living thus to- 
gether in a village, husbandmen would be obliged 
to “ go forth ” to their work in the fields, which 
are often at a considerable distance from their 
homes, as when, in the parable, “ the sower went 
forth to sow,” (Matt. xiii:3). 

It is noticeable that almost all the cities and 
villages are located on elevated sites. Many of 
them are perched upon the tops of high hills, and 


70 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


from the ruins which have been discovered, such 
places were selected more frequently in ancient 
times than at present. Defense against attacking 
enemies was thus made easier. Jerusalem is on 
an elevation embracing several hills, although the 
depressions between them are now nearly filled up 
by the debris of centuries. Bethlehem is upon a 
hill, Nazareth is upon a hillside, Samaria, capital 
of the Northern Kingdom, was upon a conspicuous 
hill of the same name, where now, aside from a 
few ruins of former splendor, only a contemptible 
Arab village occupies the commanding site. The 
same was true of cities in other eastern countries. 
E-ome, Athens, Constantinople, were located upon 
hills. This fact gives added significance to the 
words of Christ : “ A city set on a hill cannot be 

hid,” (Matt. v:14). Thus is the Christian con- 
spicuous before the world ; hence the importance 
that he be like his Master in uprightness of char- 
acter, in sweetness of spirit, in ministries of love. 

Many of the cities are still surrounded by walls 
or the remains of them, although Jerusalem is the 
only city in Palestine whose walls are preserved en- 
tire. These walled cities undoubtedly correspond 
to the “ fenced cities ” of old. Of course the walls 
are of little use now, except to regulate the ingress 
and the egress of the people. The gates of these 
walled cities were usually closed at sundown, or 
shortly after. This was a precaution against the 


MANNERS AND CUSTOMS 


71 


approach of an unseen enemy to attack the city 
under cover of the night. If travelers journeying 
toward the city did not reach it before sundown, 
they were compelled to spend the night outside ex- 
posed to storms and robbers. The heavenly city, 
where there is no darkness, and where nothing hos- 
tile can enter, is represented as in marked contrast 
with the earthly cities with which the people were 
familiar. Its gates are always open in token of 
friendly welcome, (Rev. xxi:25). 

In Damascus the traveler may see how some- 
times the wall of a house was also a portion of the 
city wall. Through its windows, though high 
above the ground — and which often project be- 
yond the wall itself like a kind of bay window — 
access may be had to the regions outside. Thus 
probably David escaped when “ Saul sent messen- 
gers unto David’s house, to watch him, and to slay 
him in the morning,” (I Sam. xix:ll). So Paul 
escaped from Damascus. The Jews watched the 
gates by day and by night to kill him. “ But his 
disciples took him by night, and let him down 
through the wall, lowering him in a basket,” (Acts 
ix:25). The place where this is supposed to have 
occurred is pointed out to visitors, and one may 
contemplate it with about the same confidence with 
which he looks upon pieces of the “true cross” 
which are preserved in some of the capitals of 
Europe ; or upon the skulls of the three wise men 


72 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


from the East who sought out the infant Savior 
at Bethlehem, which are shown, along with other 
invaluable treasures, for a consideration, in the 
cathedral at Cologne; or into the small hole in the 
ground in the basement of a Bomish Church to the 
southwest of Jerusalem, which is preserved and 
protected with the utmost care, as being the hole 
from which the tree was taken, out of which the 
Savior’s cross was made! 

The allusions in the Scriptures seem to har- 
monize with the customs and traditions of the 
country to-day. This is an unconscious testimony 
to the accuracy and care with which the Scripture 
writers made their report. 

The present agricultural customs of the people 
reflect the usage of ancient Bible times, and throw 
light upon many passages otherwise more or less 
obscure. To one not familiar with the practices 
of the people, the description in the nineteenth 
chapter of Eirst Kings of the meeting between Eli- 
jah and Elisha in the field, the latter “ plowing 
with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with 
the twelfth,” (I Kings xix:19), is likely to be mis- 
leading. It seems strange to think of twenty-four 
oxen being required for a single plow, as might be 
inferred from the language used. But after one 
has seen men engaged in this work in that country, 
the Scripture language is no longer difficult to un- 


MANNERS AND CUSTOMS 


73 


derstand. The plow is a very rude affair, very 
light and simple, and does little more than scratch 
the soil, three inches being perhaps an average 
depth of the furrow. Sometimes the plow is made 
of the trunk of a small tree having two branches 
running in opposite directions, one branch serving 
as the plow, the other as the handle for steadying 
and guiding it. But not all plows are as primitive 
as this. Usually there is a small share of iron, a 
kind of rude hoe, or somewhat resembling a short 
sword. Thus it' would not be difficult either to 
beat “ plowshares into swords ” as Joel has it, 
(Joel iii:10), or “ swords into plowshares” as 
Isaiah says, (ii:4). The handle resembles that of 
a spade with a cross-piece at the top. This is held 
in one hand, while in the other the plowman car- 
ries a short rod or stick. This latter is furnished 
at one end with a flat piece of iron with which to 
clean the share, and at the other with a sharp spike. 
This rod was anciently called an ox-goad, and with 
it the oxen were reminded, when necessary, of their 
duty, and spurred on to do it. We read of one of 
the deliverers of Israel in the times of the Judges 
“ who smote of the Philistines 600 men with an ox- 
goad,” (Judges iii :31). 

To this plow a long pole or tongue was attached 

— unless the trunk of the tree served the purpose 

— to connect it with the yoke of the cattle. This 
yoke is also a very rude affair — simply a straight 


74 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


pole about six feet long and three inches in diame- 
ter, which lies on the necks of the oxen. It is 
fastened to their necks not by bows, but by ropes. 
The plowmen often work in company. It is no 
unusual thing to see half a dozen plowmen thus 
at work, each plow having its plowman and yoke 
of oxen, and all moving slowly along in single file. 
Sometimes more than a dozen plows have been seen 
at work in this way. Thus we can see how Elisha 
was “ plowing, with twelve yoke of oxen before 
him.” There were twelve plows in file, each with 
its own plowman and yoke of oxen, and he had 
charge of the twelfth or last plow. When several 
men plow together, one sower — who walks im- 
mediately in front of them scattering the seed that 
it may be plowed under — answers for them all. 

Other branches of agriculture are pursued in an 
equally primitive manner. With the exception of 
vineyards and vegetable gardens, the fields were 
never protected by walls and fences. Each man’s 
property had its boundary stones or natural land- 
marks. Severe penalties were attached to any 
tampering with these boundary marks. The roads 
of the country are merely bridle-paths, which often 
run by the side of, or through the unenclosed fields. 
Hence it sometimes happened that as the sower 
scattered his seed, some of it fell on the beaten 
path. So it was in the parable of the sower : — 
“ Some seed fell by the way side.” Thus exposed, 


MANNERS AND CUSTOMS 


75 


it is not strange that “ the birds came and devoured 
it,” (Mark iv:4). 

In another parable “ The kingdom of heaven is 
likened unto a man that sowed good seed in his 
field: but while men slept, his enemy came and 
sowed tares also among the wheat, and went away,” 
(Matt. xiii:24, 25). It was a mean, cowardly 
thing to do. One who is familiar with oriental 
lands says that the exact counterpart of this noc- 
turnal villainy may be found in some of these lands 
to-day. A man wishing to do his enemy an injury, 
watches for the time when he shall have finished 
plowing his field, and then goes in the night and 
scatters the seed of a noxious weed over it, which 
springs up even before the good seed, and cannot 
be removed while it is growing, without also up- 
rooting the grain. The only thing to be done is 
to let them grow together till the harvest. Some- 
times it will require years before the field can be 
rid of the troublesome weed. The good and the 
bad in the kingdom must often, in like manner, be 
left to grow together till the harvest It would 
be impossible always to separate them before that 
time without great spiritual damage. At the 
harvest of the last day, however, the separation 
will come, when the bad will be destroyed and the 
good preserved, as in the case of the tares and the 
wheat. 

In this country when the grain is ripe, the 


76 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


farmer is always in a hurry to harvest and secure 
it. But the greatest deliberation marks all the 
movements of the oriental husbandman. He is in 
no haste. Even if the grain is dead-ripe, he han- 
dles it so carefully that scarcely any of it is lost. 
He cuts it with a sickle, as did his fathers in the 
days of Abraham, and as our fathers did less than 
a hundred years ago. The grain is then tied in 
little bundles, loaded on the backs of men, donkeys, 
or camels, and transferred to the heap at the thresh- 
ing floor which is near the village. When the 
grain is harvested and laid in heaps near together 
— each man having his own heap — the threshing 
begins. 

The threshing floor is a piece of hard, level 
ground, circular in shape, about 25 to 30 or 40 
feet in diameter, made harder by beating and 
tramping, or, when it can be found of sufficient 
size, the flat surface of a rock answers the purpose. 
The site of the Temple at Jerusalem was originally 
a threshing floor. Upon the floor thus prepared, 
the grain is spread out perhaps a foot in depth, and 
then oxen, horses, or mules are driven around 
upon it. In this way most of the kernels are 
separated from the straw. Einally a rough slide 
or sledge having sharp stones let into the under sur- 
face, is dragged around by a pair of oxen, a man 
standing upon the sledge, goad in hand. These 
are the oxen which must not be muzzled, but al- 


MANNERS AND CUSTOMS 77 

lowed to pick up the straw as they desire, (Deut. 
xxv :4). This command is still obeyed by most of 
the farmers in Palestine, although some niggardly 
peasants refuse to do so. Paul intimates that there 
were just such people in the church of God in his 
day, people who would hinder the apostles from 
receiving the just recompense of their toil, (I Cor. 
ix). When sufficiently threshed, the broken 
straws, grain, and chaff, are piled up in the center 
of the threshing floor, or at a short distance from 
it, and another bed of grain is laid down to go 
through the same process. This floor being unen- 
closed and exposed to robbers, it was necessary for 
the proprietor or some trusty servant to keep up 
a watch. We therefore find that Boaz, after eat- 
ing his supper, “ went to lie down at the end of 
the heap of grain,” (Ruth iii :7). This is still done 
by the proprietors of threshing floors in Palestine. 
The grain is carefully watched until it is all 
threshed and garnered. 

After the threshing comes the winnowing. 
When the wind is favorable, a little grain from 
the pile, with its mixture of straw and chaff, is 
tossed into the air by means of the fan and shovel, 
the fan being a simple three-pronged wooden pitch- 
fork. The coarser straw is deposited a little dis- 
tance off, while the “ wind driveth away” the 
chaff, (Ps. i:4). When the chaff accumulates in 
any quantity, as it sometimes does at large thresh- 


78 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


ing floors, it is burnt up. The grain falls directly 
to the ground. As it still contains more or less 
straw and chaff, a wooden shovel is next employed 
in tossing it. Then, by means of a sieve, the grain 
is finally cleansed from any dirt or other impurities 
which may yet remain. A knowledge of these 
facts in regard to the threshing and winnowing of 
grain adds vividness to the language of John the 
Baptist in his reference to the One who was to come 
after him, “ whose fan is in his hand, and he will 
thoroughly cleanse his threshing-floor; and he will 
gather his wheat into the garner, but the chaff he 
will burn up with unquenchable fire,” (Matt. 
iii:12). The time for winnowing was usually in 
the evening, this time being selected not only be- 
cause it was cooler than during the day, but be- 
cause of the increase of the wind which enabled 
the husbandman to winnow more thoroughly. 
Thus we read that Naomi said to Buth concerning 
Boaz : “ Behold, he winnoweth barley to-night in 

the threshing-floor,” (Buth iii:2). 

For the purpose of grinding the winnowed grain, 
none but hand-mills were anciently employed. 
These are frequently seen by the traveler to-day, 
although water-mills and horse-mills have now been 
more or less in use for a long time. The hand- 
mill consists of two circular stones about a foot or 
a foot and a-half in diameter, the lower or nether 
stone, which is sometimes harder and heavier than 



WOMEN GRINDING GRAIN. 




MANNERS AND CUSTOMS 


79 


the upper, having often a slightly convex surface, 
the upper being hollowed out to fit it. Job, in 
speaking of the leviathan or crocodile says : “ His 

heart is as firm as a stone; yea, firm as the nether 
millstone,” (Job xli:24). On one side of the up- 
per stone, near the edge, a wooden peg or handle 
is inserted. In the center is the hole for the pivot 
and through which the grain falls upon the lower 
stone. The work of grinding was usually per- 
formed by women. They seem to have been set to 
menial tasks and to various forms of drudgery in 
Bible times, as they are in oriental lands to-day. 
Sometimes one woman works at the mill alone, sit- 
ting on the ground as she grinds, but usually two 
work together with the millstone between them, 
each holding the wooden peg. This throws light 
upon the passage: “Two women shall be grind- 
ing at the mill; one is taken, and one is left,” 
(Matt. xxiv:41). The work of grinding is very la- 
borious. The stones, as they crush the grain, give 
forth a grating sound. This is frequently referred 
to in the Scriptures, as when Jeremiah speaks of 
the “ sound of the millstones,” (Jer. xxv:10). In 
the last chapter of Ecclesiastes, in that beautiful 
description of old age, this figurative clause ap- 
pears : “ When the sound of the grinding is low,” 

(Eccl. xii :4) r as one’s teeth, in old age, are nearly 
gone. Christ says of one who causes weak dis- 
ciples to stumble : “ It is profitable for him that 


80 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


a great millstone should be hanged about his neck, 
and that he should be sunk in the depth of the 
sea,” (Matt. xviii:6). 

Thus we see how faithful the Scriptures are to 
the agricultural usages of the times, even in their 
incidental allusions, and how an understanding of 
these usages helps to render the spiritual teaching 
in connection with them more interesting and im- 
pressive. 

There are numerous allusions in the Scriptures 
to vineyards and the culture of the vine. Grape 
culture is still a prominent occupation in Palestine. 
Vineyards are found all over the country. The 
traveler sees many of them as he rides along. 
Sometimes the vines are planted on the side of a 
terraced hill, or on the gently-sloping ground at the 
foot of a hill. These sunny slopes are frequently 
fenced with walls of stone or a hedge of thorny 
plants, or with both combined. Vineyards are 
particularly numerous near Hebron in the south- 
ern part of the country. This section seems to be 
specially favorable for grape culture. Ho doubt it 
was from this vicinity that the spies procured the 
great clusters of grapes which they brought into 
the Israelitish camp at Kadesh-Barnea after their 
circuit of the promised land, (Hum. xiii:23). 
Grape clusters from that region are still so large as 
to excite the comment of travelers. 


MANNERS AND CUSTOMS 


81 


In these vineyards, or in many of them, towers 
were placed. Such towers may still be seen. 
They were designed as a place of temporary dwell- 
ing for the guard, who watched over the vineyard 
while the fruit was ripening. It was also some- 
times used as a temporary abode by the owner dur- 
ing the season of vintage. Though many of the 
towers were frail edifices — built for a single 
season only — others were more durable, being 
built of stone. They were either circular or 
square, and varied in height from 15 to 50 feet. 
This was a very familiar sight in Christ’s time, 
and is referred to in one of His parables : u There 
was a man that was a householder, who planted a 
vineyard, and set a hedge about it, and digged a 
winepress in it, and built a tower,” (Matt. xxi:33). 
The winepress consisted of two parts, the receptacle 
for the grapes and the vat for the liquor. These 
were cut in the solid rock with a partition left be- 
tween them, the latter being a little lower than 
the other. A small hole in the partition permitted 
the wine, when pressed out of the grapes, to pass 
into the vat. The grapes were thrown into the 
upper receptacle, and then trodden by the feet of 
men, women, and children. As they trod the 
grapes they kept time with hand clapping and 
snatches of song, (Is. xvi:10). After being thus 
pressed by the feet, the grape skins were collected 
into a heap upon which a flat stone was laid, after 


82 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


which they were subjected to pressure from a large 
heavily weighted beam, the juice flowing into the 
lower receptacle through the opening in the par- 
tition. “ And they went out into the field, and 
gathered their vineyards, and trod the grapes, and 
held festival,” (Judges ix:27). “ In those days 

saw I in Judah some men treading winepresses on 
the Sabbath,” (Neh. xiii:15). To tread the wine- 
presses alone was an expression indicative of deso- 
lation. “ I have trodden the winepress alone ; and 
of the people there was no man with me,” (Isa. 
lxiii :3). 

Vineyards were not devoted exclusively to vines. 
Fruit trees of various kinds were sometimes planted 
within their limits, so that it was not incorrect to 
speak of a fig tree, for instance, as being planted 
in a vineyard. Thus, “ A certain man had a fig 
tree planted in his vineyard,” (Luke xiii :6). On 
one occasion Christ said, speaking of the scribes 
and Pharisees: “ Ye blind guides, that strain out 
the gnat, and swallow the camel ! ” (Matt. 
xxiii:24). In common with other oriental people, 
the Jews strained their wine before drinking it, 
in order to free it from dregs and to clean it of the 
insects, which, in a hot climate, collected about 
it. Sometimes a cloth sieve was employed for this 
purpose. The idea of the passage would seem to 
be the utter inconsistency of the scribes and 
Pharisees, whom Christ was at this time condemn- 





Permission of Robt. U. .Jacob. 

A GOATSKIN BOTTLE. 



Permission of Robt. U. Jacob. 

WHEEL TURNED BY OXEN. 


Ml 



MANNERS AND CUSTOMS 


83 


ing. They were very particular about little things, 
minute technicalities of the law, matters of trivial 
importance relatively, while at the same time they 
were uttterly neglectful of the weightier, the all- 
important matters — strenuous to appear right out- 
wardly, regardless of sin and all manner of vile- 
ness in their hearts. Some very startling expres- 
sions are employed to describe them. They make 
long prayers, and yet “ devour widows’ houses,” 
(Luke xx:47). They “ tithe mint and anise and 
cummin, and have left undone the weightier mat- 
ters of the law, justice, and mercy, and faith,” 
(Matt. xxiii:23). They are “ like unto whited 
sepulchers,” or whitewashed tombs such as may 
now be seen in the country — “ which outwardly 
appear beautiful, but inwardly are full of dead 
men’s bones and of all uncleanness.” “ Even so,” 
says Christ, “ye also outwardly appear righteous 
unto men, but inwardly ye are full of hypocrisy 
and iniquity,” (Matt. xxiii:27, 28). 

Here we may speak of the strange custom which 
has come down from ancient times, and which the 
traveler frequently notices in the cities and towns 
of Palestine or in other eastern places, of using the 
skins of animals for carrying water, wine, and 
milk. Our common version terms them “ bottles.” 
Skins of goats and kids are commonly used for 
this purpose, although when a long journey is to 
be taken, the hide of the buffalo is preferred as 


84 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


being more durable. The head and feet of the 
animal are cut off and the skin is stripped whole 
from the body. The neck and legs are each drawn 
together and fastened with a cord. Sometimes the 
skin of the neck, sometimes that of one of the fore- 
legs is used as the aperture through which the 
liquid may be poured out. When the skin or “ bot- 
tle ” is filled, it has the shape of the original 
animal. Sometimes these skins are employed for 
holding wine, which was a more common beverage 
before the Mohammedan invasion of the country 
than it is at present. When the skin is green, it 
is soft and flexible, and is stretched by the fer- 
mentation of the liquor, but when it becomes old 
and dry, the fermentation of the new wine causes 
it to crack and burst. “ Neither do men put new 
wine into old wine-skins: else the skins burst, and 
the wine is spilled, and the skins perish: but they 
put new wine into fresh wine-skins, and both are 
preserved,” (Matt. ix:l7. After witnessing the 
processes of the natives in pressing out the juice of 
the grape — either treading the grapes with their 
bare feet which are not always scrupulously clean, 
or moving about barefoot in the shallow vat while 
operating a rude winepress, the juice trickling 
along over the floor meanwhile and flowing into the 
lower vat — one is led to wonder if the desire of 
natives and of travelers for that kind of refresh- 
ment does not begin to subside. And the query has 


MANNERS AND CUSTOMS 


85 


often risen whether if people at home only knew 
or realized of what villainous compounds the 
drinks they purchase in the saloon are composed, 
and understood all the processes involved in pre- 
paring them, they would not easily be persuaded 
to sign the pledge and to reform without delay ! 

These skins are in constant use in the country 
for carrying water on journeys, or for churning 
milk. The latter is an interesting, if not an in- 
viting process. Three poles a few feet apart are 
set up, then brought together and fastened at the 
top. From the point of union cords are let down 
and fastened to the legs of the skin, which is filled 
with goat’s milk — goats being the cows of the 
country — and this is shaken back and forth by 
women until the butter comes. Sometimes the 
milk-filled skin is beaten with sticks, or is placed 
on the ground and trodden upon; or sometimes, 
again, it is pressed or squeezed with the hands. In 
these various ways the milk is agitated and gradu- 
ally coagulates. 

The present habits of shepherds in the care 
of sheep illustrate many passages of Scripture. 
By day and by night the shepherd is with his 
sheep. This was rendered necessary by the ex- 
posed nature of the land and the presence of dan- 
ger from wild animals and robbers. The shepherd 
leading his sheep to pasture is one of the most fa- 


86 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


miliar sights in the land. If he appears to be 
escaping from them, they run after him, and are 
terrified when he is out of sight, or when a stran- 
ger appears in his place. The voice of the latter 
has no effect upon them, although they recognize the 
shepherd’s voice readily and respond when he calls 
them. It is said that names are given to the sheep 
individually and that each one comes when called 
by it. The intimate relation between Christ and 
His disciples is thus illustrated by Him : “ And 

he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth 
them out. When he hath put forth all his own, 
he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: 
for they know his voice. And a stranger will they 
not follow, but will flee from him: for they know 
not the voice of strangers,” (John x:3-5). 

The sheep-folds of Syria, which no doubt re- 
semble those of ancient times, are low, flat build- 
ings, opening into a court. These buildings are 
surrounded by a stone wall, on the top of which is 
a layer of thorns. A doorway, only wide enough 
for a man to pass through, forms the entrance. 
But while there is a doorway, there is no door 
proper. The shepherd is himself the door. He 
plants himself in the opening, and, wrapped in his 
great cloak of skins, guards the fold against the 
enemies of the flock. “ I am the door ; by me if 
any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go 
in and go out, and shall find pasture,” (John x:9). 


MANNERS AND CUSTOMS 


87 


“ He that entereth not by the door into the fold 
of the sheep, but climbeth up some other way, the 
same is a thief and a robber,” (John x:l). 

Sheep and goats are allowed to mingle during 
the day while at pasturage, hut at night they are 
separated. Thus the Savior seeks to illustrate the 
truth, that though the righteous and the wicked 
live together in the world, there will come a time 
of separation. “ And he shall separate them one 
from another, as the shepherd separateth the sheep 
from the goats,” (Matt. xxv:32). The twenty- 
third Psalm gives us a beautiful, as well as a pro- 
found, expression of trust in God. How signifi- 
cant it is seen to be, in view of the facts in regard 
to sheep and shepherds which have been presented. 
u Jehovah is my shepherd; I shall not want. He 
maketh me to lie down in green pastures ; He lead- 
eth me beside still waters,” (Ps. xxiiiil, 2). The 
representation also is that the redeemed and glori- 
fied are still being led to the living fountains of 
waters. “ For the Lamb that is in the midst of 
the throne shall he their shepherd, and shall guide 
them unto fountains of waters of life,” (Kev. 
vii:17). 

Such appliances for 'preparing food as are com- 
mon with us, are rarely found among the inhabit- 
ants of Palestine. An American cookstove, with 
its modern conveniences, would be a novelty among 


88 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


them. Aside from such vessels as frying pans, 
skillets, and coffee pots, cooking furniture is un- 
known. In place of stoves, bake ovens are com- 
mon. Sometimes a bake oven consists simply of 
a plastered hole in the ground, into which fuel, 
consisting of grass, thorns, or small twigs is put, 
along with a few large pebbles to retain the heat. 
When hot embers have been formed, large thin 
cakes of dough are placed upon the sides and are 
quickly baked. Sometimes the oven is a little 
conical structure made of mud and smoothly plas- 
tered inside and out. An opening in one side 
serves as a door for putting in the fuel, and also 
for raking out the fire after the oven has been 
sufficiently heated. Then thin cakes of dough are 
placed on the sides within as before, until cooked. 
A convex griddle put over an open fire between 
a couple of stones, sometimes serves the purpose 
of an oven. By these simple contrivances various 
kinds of bread and cakes are made. As one sees 
the village women gathering up the coarse grass 
with which to heat their ovens, he is reminded of 
the Savior’s remark : “ But if God doth so clothe 

the grass in the field, which to-day is, and to-mor- 
row is cast into the oven; how much more shall 
He clothe you, O ye, of little faith ? ” (Luke 
xii:28). 

The dough for baking was made by mixing un- 
bolted flour from wheat or barley, with water or 


MANNERS AND CUSTOMS 


89 


perhaps with milk. It was then kneaded with the 
hands. In Egypt the feet also were sometimes 
used for this purpose. When the kneading was 
completed, leaven was generally added. The dough 
was then rolled out into thin cakes for baking, as 
already indicated. The loaves bore some resem- 
blance in general appearance, to round flat stones. 
There is an allusion to this in the narrative of our 
Lord’s temptation, where the devil suggests that 
Jesus change the stones into bread, (Matt. iv:3). 
The term “ bread ” was often used to denote food 
in general. When Joseph’s brethren had cast him 
into the pit, “ they sat down to eat bread,” (Gen. 
xxxvii:25). When Moses was in Midian, he was 
invited to “ eat bread,” (Ex. ii:20). The witch of 
Endor “ set a morsel of bread ” before Saul, (I 
Sam. xxviii:22). 

Food for the family is usually served in large 
trays placed on low stands in the midst of the 
floor, those who partake sitting on the floor about 
it. During the Hew Testament period many Jews 
had evidently conformed to the custom of taking 
meals in a reclining attitude. The expression 
“ sat at meat ” which we often come upon, would 
be more correctly rendered “ reclined at meat.” 
For this purpose, beds or cushions were provided 
around the sides of the table within easy reach of 
the food. Usually those at the table rested on their 
left arms, the right arm being free. The feet ex- 


90 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


tended outwardly. Thus we can understand how 
it was that while our Lord was at dinner a woman 
could come behind him and anoint his feet and 
wipe them with the hair of her head, (Luke vii :38). 
Reclining thus about the table, the back of each 
guest being turned to his next neighbor, his head 
would easily come in contact with his neighbor’s 
breast. This explains how one of Jesus’ disciples, 
whom He loved, was — when at the table — “ re- 
clining in Jesus’ bosom,” (John xiii:23). 

A very common family dish is made of pieces 
of meat stewed with vegetables. This is put into 
a dish from which each person at the table helps 
himself — not with knife and fork, but with his 
fingers. At the last supper Christ said : u He 
that dipped his hand with me in the dish, the same 
shall betray me,” (Matt. xxvi:23). Sometimes one 
makes a small scoop or spoon out of a piece of 
bread broken from the thin loaf at his side, with 
which he conveys the soft food to his mouth. This 
is called a “ sop.” The animal food is so thor- 
oughly cooked that it is readily separated by the 
fingers from the bone. It is a mark of friendly 
regard when the head of the house presents this 
sop, or a choice morsel of meat, to one of his guests. 
“ So when he had dipped the sop, he taketh and 
giveth it to J udas, the son of Simon Iscariot. And 
after the sop, then entered Satan into him,” (John 
xiii :26, 27). “ He then having received the sop 


MANNERS AND CUSTOMS 


91 


went out straightway: and it was night,” (John 
xiii:30) — a very appropriate time for carrying out 
his treacherous purpose. How vividly the whole 
scene rises before our minds as we understand the 
various customs referred to in this brief account 
of the last meal of Jesus and the disciples! 

The dress of the oriental differs greatly from 
that of Europeans. The girdle is one of the most 
useful articles of oriental costume, and frequently 
the most ornamental. With the long loose dress 
of orientals it becomes a necessity, since it would 
be difficult to walk or to run unless the folds in 
this loosely flowing dress were gathered up. 
Hence it was that Elijah “ girded up his loins,” 
(I Kings xviii:46), as a preparation for running 
before Ahab’s chariot to Jezreel, after his contest 
with the priests of Baal at Mount Carmel. Thus 
the Israelites prepared for their exodus from Egypt 
after partaking of the passover on that last night: 
“ And thus shall ye eat -it : with your loins girded, 
your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your 
hand,” (Ex. xiirll). They were to be ready to 
start at a moment’s notice. Money, bread, and 
various small articles could be carried in the girdle. 
This explains the direction of Christ to the dis- 
ciples : “ Get you no gold, nor silver, nor brass 

in your purses,” (Matt. x:9). 

Sometimes garments were made of the thin 


92 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


coarse hair of the camel, as is still the case among 
the Arabs. A rough outer garment of this ma- 
terial seems to have been characteristic of a prophet. 
J ohn the Baptist, we read, “ had his raiment of 
camel’s hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; 
and his food was locusts and wild honey,” (Matt. 
iii:4). Locusts still constitute an article of food 
with many of the Bedouins on the frontiers of 
Palestine. They are salted, dried, and eaten with 
butter or wild honey. Locusts are considered a 
very inferior kind of food. The fact that this 
was John’s diet is an evidence of the extreme 
poverty of Christ’s forerunner, and of the destitu- 
tion which he suffered by living in the wilderness 
far from the haunts of men. 

Instead of shoes, the people of Palestine wear 
sandals. The sandal consists of a wooden or 
leathern sole which is fastened to the foot by thongs 
or lalchets. These latchets as well as the sandals 
are frequently referred to in Scripture. John the 
Baptist in speaking of the one who was to come 
after him, says : “ There cometh after me he that 

is mightier than I, the latchet of whose shoes (or 
sandals) I am not worthy to stoop down and un- 
loose,” (Mark i:7). It was the work of a servant 
to loosen this latchet, for upon entering a house 
the sandals are removed by a servant who takes 
care of them, and brings them again when needed. 
In the passage quoted, John expresses his deep hu- 


MANNERS AND CUSTOMS 


93 


mility and his consciousness of insignficance 
when contrasted with his Master. He felt himself 
to be unworthy to do for Christ even the work of 
a servant. 

When the soil is dry and dusty and the feet are 
shod with sandals, frequent washing of the feet 
becomes not only a luxury but a necessity for com- 
fort and health. In such circumstances it is as 
much a part of hospitality for a host to see that 
his guests’ feet are washed as it is to provide them 
with food or to furnish them with a place for re- 
pose. This fact gives force to the beautiful sym- 
bolical action of our Lord as recorded in the thir- 
teenth chapter of John. He “riseth from supper, 
and layeth aside his garments ; and he took a towel, 
and girded himself. Then he poureth water into 
the basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and 
to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was 
girded,” (John xiii:4, 5). Later He said: “If 
I then, the Lord and the Teacher, have washed 
your feet, ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. 
For I have given you an example, that ye also 
should do as I have done to you,” (John xiii:14, 
15). So ought we to be ready and willing to en- 
gage in humble, even the most menial service for 
others whenever there is occasion. Nothing which 
it is necessary, or which duty calls us to do, is be- 
neath the disciple of Christ. The Lord became the 
servant of all, and His example we are to follow. 


94 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


Much misapprehension prevails as to the Scrip- 
tural references in numerous places to the matter 
of dancing. Among the Hebrews it was joined 
with sacred song, and was usually participated in 
by women only. When men danced, it was in 
companies separate from the women — promiscu- 
ous dancing not being practiced. If the Hebrew 
dances were like those of the modern Arabs, as is 
probable, we can understand how Miriam led in 
the dance, (Ex. xv:20). In general one leads off 
in the step and the others follow in exact imitation 
of all the varied movements which the leader 
makes. These movements are entirely extempo- 
raneous, governed by no fixed rule, but varied at 
the pleasure of the leader. Dancing was usually 
performed by the Hebrews in the daytime and 
in the open air. It was an outward expression of 
tumultuous joy. When David returned after the 
slaughter of Goliath, the Israelitish women met 
him with dancing and singing, (I Sam. xviii:6). 
When the ark was brought home, “ David danced 
before Jehovah with all his might,” (II Sam. 
vi:14). On several occasions God’s people were ex- 
horted to praise the Lord in the dance, (Ps. cxlix:3 
and, cl:4). This is the kind of dancing referred 
to when it is said there is “a time to dance,” 
(Eccl. iii:4). The dancing of men as practiced 
to-day in Palestine, is considerably less graceful 
than that of women, and neither is anything to 


MANNERS AND CUSTOMS 


95 


boast of. With the ideas prevailing there, it 
would be considered extremely immodest for the 
sexes to dance together. It would be well if, in 
this country, with reference to certain forms, at 
least, of dancing, a similar sentiment prevailed. 

It is a rare thing in our land for men to em- 
brace and kiss each other, at least in public. This 
custom of hissing is sometimes practiced among 
foreigners, but as a rule, men in this country rarely 
express their affection for each other in this way. 
It is not so, however, in oriental lands. There 
kissing is almost as common among the brethren as 
it is in this country among the sisters. Indeed, as 
seen over there by strangers, kissing seems to be 
confined to the men. So in Bible times: Jacob 
kissed his father Isaac, (Gen. xxvii :27). Esau em- 
braced and kissed Jacob, (Gen. xxxiii:4). Joseph 
kissed all his brethren, (Gen. xlv:15). Israel em- 
braced and kissed Joseph’s sons, (Gen. xlviii:10). 
Aaron kissed Moses, (Ex. iv:27), and Moses kissed 
Jethro, (Ex. xviii:7). David and Jonathan kissed 
each other, (I Sam. xx:41). The father of the 
prodigal is represented as kissing him when he re- 
turned home, (Luke xv:20). The elders at 
Miletus fell on Paul’s neck and kissed him, (Acts 
xx:37). 

This subject of the manners and customs of 
Bible lands and the light they throw upon many 


96 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


allusions in the Scriptures, has been barely touched 
upon. A few only out of many of these customs 
have been selected, but these are sufficient to show 
how helpful a knowledge of them is in understand- 
ing a large number of Scripture allusions, and in 
rendering Bible study interesting and attractive. 
A study of the subject more at length — and the 
literature of it is extensive — will prove richly 
rewarding. 


CHAPTER IV, 

, 

CHRIST S ILLUSTRATIONS 

T HE object of Christ’s teaching was to produce 
conviction in the minds of His hearers and 
lead them to action. Men were alienated from God, 
disobedient, sinful. By the presentation of mo- 
tives Christ sought to influence them to abandon 
their sins, return to God, and enter upon a life of 
obedience to Him. In thus seeking to persuade 
men, He employed various methods. Sometimes 
it was by direct assertion of the truth, sometimes 
by quotations from the Old Testament — showing 
their fulfilment in Himself, more frequently by 
the use of illustrations drawn from the objects, 
scenes, and experiences — real or imagined — of 
every-day life. One does not realize how con- 
stantly Christ employed the latter method, the wide 
range of His object lessons, or the pertinence and 
force of His comparisons, until his attention has 
been turned specially to them, until he has studied 
them in their settings, and noted the variety of 
truths which it was sought, by means of them to 
illumine. Hardly a single truth was set forth by 
Him which was not rendered more clear and ef- 

97 


98 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


fective by the use of illustration. Presented in the 
concrete, it gained easy access to men’s minds, 
while by being translated into the dialect of their 
every-day life, it was not difficult of comprehension. 
So simple indeed, and so clear were His teachings, 
that the “ common people,” we read, “ heard Him 
gladly.” Ho one who had a heart to be interested, 
could fail to grasp His meaning. 

The primary cause of the wide-spread interest 
in His teaching, was no doubt its subject-matter. 
Its topics were of vital concern to men — God, 
salvation, human conduct, eternal life — the most 
momentous themes which can engage human 
thought. Upon these subjects Christ’s teachings 
were fresh, original, attractive, in marked contrast 
with the teachings to which the people had been 
accustomed from the scribes, the authorized 
teachers of the times, whose instructions were nar- 
row, lifeless, repetitious, often frivolous. The lat- 
ter were occupied mostly with such trivial things 
as the minutiae of ceremonial or levitical rites, the 
washing of cups and platters, the length of the 
fringes on their robes, the letter of the law. But 
Christ spoke from the heart, appealed to the heart, 
and His teachings carried the impression of au- 
thority. “ He taught them as one having au- 
thority, and not as their scribes.” “ Never man 
spake like this man.” “ The people were astonished 
at His doctrine. 


CHRIST’S ILLUSTRATIONS 


99 


But while the subject-matter of Christ’s teaching 
was such as to appeal strongly to popular interest, 
there was a peculiar charm also in His manner of 
presenting it. This charm was largely in its 
illustrative quality, and this contributed specially 
to its popularity. The Old Testament prophets 
employed this form of speech to some extent, but 
Christ went far beyond them. His mind seemed 
instinctively to perceive analogies in everything. 
Whatever He saw — whether the grass of the field, 
the birds of the air, the sheep and the shepherd, 
the fishers on the lake, the sports of children — • 
He utilized to enforce some principle of moral con- 
duct, or to render spiritual truth more luminous. 
Hothing which could in any way serve His pur- 
pose was so small or so commonplace as to escape 
His observation. 

A study of these illustrations can hardly fail to 
be of profit. Directly or indirectly, they throw 
light upon the social and religious life of the times ; 
they render many Biblical expressions more 
luminous ; they bring out shades of meaning which 
are liable to he overlooked; and add no little in- 
terest to the Bible. We may divide these illustra- 
tions into two general classes, first, those drawn 
from actual facts or analogies; second, those based 
upon imaginary incidents or the parables. 


100 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


L 

The illustrations of Christ which were based 
upon actual facts or analogies, may be grouped, 
for convenience, under several heads. 

1. Illustrations drawn from the domestic, social, 
and civil life of the people. Christ’s allusions to 
home life, to its episodes and details, were very 
numerous, and the lessons drawn from such refer- 
ences would naturally appeal strongly to his hear- 
ers. He seems, as a rule, to have had the dwell- 
ing places of the poorer classes specially in mind. 
The houses of such were usually small, generally 
of clay or sun-dried bricks, with hut few windows, 
and earthen floors. These floors were easily worn, 
and a coin might readily be lost in the dust gath- 
ered upon them. In such circumstances, in order 
to find it, naturally a lamp would he lighted and 
the floor swept. Hence the reference in Luke 
xv :8. “ What woman having ten pieces of silver, 

if she lose one piece, doth not light a lamp, and 
sweep the house, and seek diligently until she find 
it ? ” Frequently the flat housetop was reached by 
an outer staircase. This was a favorite resort, 
especially in the evening, either for sleep or for 
social purposes. In this way news was publicly 
spread. In a correspondingly public way, the dis- 
ciples were to make known the gospel message. 
“ What I tell you in the darkness, speak ye in the 


CHRIST’S ILLUSTRATIONS 


101 


light; and what ye hear in the ear, proclaim upon 
the housetops,” (Matt. x:27). 

Among the simple furnishings of every poor 
man’s home were to he found a bed, a lamp, and 
a measure. The bed was a raised couch surround- 
ing the room, hoarded down in front, but open at 
either end. In the daytime a lamp could easily 
he placed underneath it, out of the way. At night 
it would be lighted and placed on a stand provided 
for the purpose. The bushel was a measure hold- 
ing about a peck. Turned upside down it could 
be used as a seat. If necessary a lamp could be 
concealed under it in the daytime. When our 
Lord would teach His followers that they were 
not to receive the light and blessings of the gospel 
for their own sake merely, but were under obliga- 
tion to impart them to others, He referred by way 
of illustration to the folly of putting a lighted 
lamp, whose mission was to give light to all, under 
a bushel or bed. “ Neither do men light a lamp, 
and put it under the bushel, but on the stand ; and 
it shineth unto all that are in the house. Even so 
let your light shine before men ; that they may see 
your good works, and glorify your Eather who is 
in heaven,” (Matt. v:15, 16). “ And he said unto 

them, Is the lamp brought to be put under the 
bushel, or under the bed, and not to be put on the 
stand?” (Mark iv:21). 

The humility of mind which must characterize 


102 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


Christ’s followers if they would receive the Spirit 
of God, and which was the condition of gaining 
insight into spiritual things, was illustrated by this 
well-known quality of little children. “ And he 
called to him a little child, and set him in the 
midst of them, and said, Verily I say unto you, 
Except ye turn, and become as little children, ye 
shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven. 
Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this 
little child, the same is the greatest in the kingdom 
of heaven,” (Matt. xviii:2-4). “I thank thee, O 
Eather, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou didst 
hide these things from the wise and understanding, 
and didst reveal them unto babes,” (Luke x:21). 

Unlike John the Baptist, Christ associated with 
men and shared in their social life. Erequently He 
visited at the house of Mary and Martha in Beth- 
any; He was a guest at the marriage festival at 
Cana, and we read of His accepting invitations to 
other feasts from time to time. Many things 
which He observed at these gatherings, or in social 
life in general, furnished Him illustrations. The 
gospel with its privileges was represented as a feast. 
Invitations to it were widely extended. As festival 
garments were presented to guests, so in order to ac- 
ceptance at the gospel board, men must put on the 
garment of righteousness which is furnished in 
Christ. “ A certain man made a great supper ; 
and be bade many: and he sent forth his servant 


CHRIST’S ILLUSTRATIONS 


103 


at supper time to say to them that were bidden, 
Come ; for all things are now ready,” (Luke xiv :16, 
17). “ But when the king came in to behold the 

guests, he saw there a man which had not on a 
wedding-garment : and he saith unto him, Friend, 
how earnest thou in hither, not having a wedding- 
garment?” (Matt, xxii :11, 12). 

2. The various occupations and trades of the 
Jews — agricultural and pastoral, fishing, building, 
mercantile pursuits, and various business relations 
— suggested many illustrations and analogies for 
the discourses of Christ. 

The cultivation of the vine was common in Pal- 
estine. Christ speaks of Himself as a vine, and of 
His people as the branches. The dependence of 
the branches upon the vine for nourishment was 
used to indicate the closeness of the union between 
Himself and His followers. The pruning of the 
vine is necessary to its fruitfulness. So is the dis- 
cipline of trial essential to spiritual fruit-bearing. 
“ I am the true vine, and my Father is the hus- 
bandman.” “ Abide in me, and I in you. As the 
branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide 
in the vine; so neither can ye, except ye abide in 
me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that 
abideth in me, and I in him, the same beareth much 
fruit; for apart from me ye can do nothing,” (John 
xv :1, 4, 5). “Every branch in me that beareth 
not fruit, he taketh it away : and every branch that 


104 : 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


beareth fruit, he cleanseth it, that it may bear more 
fruit,” (John xv:2). 

So light was the plow which the Jews used for 
cultivating the soil, that unless the plowman gave 
his whole attention to his work, it was liable to be 
thrown out of the furrow. To look about or behind 
was to endanger one’s work. Would one be suc- 
cessful in the Christian life, one must devote his 
entire attention to it. To look back toward the 
world is at one’s peril. “ But Jesus said unto him, 
c Ho man, having put his hand to the plow, and 
looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God,’ ” 
(Luke ix:62). 

The patriarchs had all been shepherds. At the 
time of our Lord’s birth, shepherds were watching 
over their flocks by night in the little plain east of 
Bethlehem. The people were so familiar with pas- 
toral life that illustrations and analogies from this 
source would readily be appreciated. Christ repre- 
sents Himself as the shepherd of the people. He 
watches over them as shepherds watch over their 
flocks. He cares for them, leads them, protects 
them, seeks after the strayed and lost, even lays 
down His life in their behalf. “ I am the good 
shepherd: the good shepherd layeth down his life 
for the sheep,” (John x:ll). “ The sheep hear his 
voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and 
leadeth them out. When he hath put forth all his 
own, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow 


CHRIST’S ILLUSTRATIONS 


105 


him : for they know his voice. And a stranger will 
they not follow, but will flee from him: for they 
know not the voice of strangers,” (John x:3-5). 
“ How think ye ? if any man have a hundred sheep, 
and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave 
the ninety and nine, and go unto the mountains, and 
seek that which goeth astray? And if so be that 
he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth over 
it more than over the ninety and nine which have 
not gone astray,” (Matt. xviii:12, 13). 

In calling His disciples, Christ referred to the 
occupation of fishermen which was common about 
the shores of Galilee. In like manner He would 
make them fishers of men. The same qualities of 
patience and tact which were necessary in catching 
fish, would he essential in the higher calling of 
winning men for the kingdom. Seeing Peter and 
Andrew, casting a net into the sea one day, he said 
to them, “ Come ye after me, and I will make ye 
fishers of men.” Walking a little farther along on 
the shore, he saw James and John in the boat 
with their father, mending their nets, and he called 
them. As Peter and Andrew had done, so they 
“ straightway left their nets and followed him,” 
(Matt. iv:18-22). 

3. Christ drew very largely upon nature for il- 
lustrations with which to enrich His teaching. The 
seasons of the year and the heavenly bodies are re- 
ferred to in enforcing important lessons. He him- 


106 


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self is symbolized by the sun. “ I am the light of 
the world,” (John viii:12). “ Ye are the light of 

the world,” (Matt. v:14). “ Then shall the right- 

eous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their 
Father,” (Matt, xiii :43). “ And pray ye that your 

flight (at the destruction of the Holy City) be not 
in the winter,” (Matt. xxiv:20). 

Among the various phenomena of nature to 
which Christ referred, were the laws of the wind, 
which we cannot see, but the effects of which reveal 
its power. So in the movements of the Spirit. 
“ The wind bloweth where it will, and thou hearest 
the voice thereof, but knowest not whence it cometh, 
and whether it goeth : so is every one that is born of 
the Spirit,” (John iii:8). 

Similarly in regard to the signs of the times. 
The people were not slow to observe signs of a 
change in the weather, but they seemed very obtuse 
when it came to discerning spiritual signs. The 
south wind which blew from the desert, always 
brought heat. Clouds from the west — from the 
Mediterranean — foretokened rain. “ And he said 
to the multitudes also, When ye see a cloud rising 
in the west, straightway ye say, There cometh a 
shower; and so it cometh to pass. And when ye 
see a south wind blowing, ye say, There will be a 
scorching heat; and it cometh to pass. Ye hypo- 
crites, ye know how to interpret the face of the 
earth and the heaven; but how is it that ye know 


CHRIST’S ILLUSTRATIONS 


107 


not how to interpret this time?” (Luke xii: 
54—56). “ When it is evening, ye say, It will be 

fair weather: for the heaven is red. And in the 
morning, It will be foul weather to-day: for the 
heaven is red and lowring. Ye know how to dis- 
cern the face of the heaven; but ye cannot discern 
the signs of the times,” (Matt. xvi:2, 3). 

The dried grass which is used in heating the 
oven, and the lily of the field, were made to yield 
lessons of the providential care of God. If He 
•clothes these with beauty, notwithstanding their 
short life, so that Solomon in all his glory, could 
not, in his apparel, he compared with the lily, much 
more may He be expected to provide for the needs 
of His own children. “ And why are ye anxious 
concerning raiment ? Consider the lilies of the 
field, how they grow; they toil not neither do they 
spin : yet I say unto you, that even Solomon in all 
his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But 
if God doth so clothe the grass of the field, which 
to-day is, and to-morrow is cast into the oven, shall 
he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith ? ” 
(Matt. vi:28-30). Lessons of God’s providential 
care are also drawn from the birds, and from His 
numbering the hairs of our heads. “ Behold the 
birds of the heaven, that they sow not, neither do 
they reap, nor gather into barns; and your heav- 
enly Father feedeth them. Are not ye of much 
more value than they?” (Matt. vi:26). “ Are 


108 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


not two sparrows sold for a penny ? and not one of 
them shall fall on the ground without your Father: 
but the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 
Fear not therefore ; ye are of more value than many 
sparrows,” (Matt. x:29-31). “ Consider the ra- 

vens, that they sow not, neither reap ; which have no 
store-chamber nor barn; and God feedeth them: of 
how much more value are ye than the birds ! And 
which of you by being anxious can add a cubit unto 
the measure of his life ? If ye then are not able to 
do even that which is least, why are ye anxious 
concerning the rest?” (Luke xii:24-26). The 
hen’s care for her brood of chickens illustrates 
Christ’s tender love for the people of J erusalem, in- 
deed for all His children. “ How often would I 
have gathered thy children together, even as a hen 
gathereth her chickens under her wings,” (Matt. 
xxiii:37). 

4. The religious habits of the Jews with their 
scrupulous observance of all ceremonial require- 
ments, furnished many effective illustrations to our 
Lord. 

When He would point out the folly of external 
cleansing while the heart remains unchanged and 
impure, He refers to the ceremonial washing of 
hands before eating and of cups and pots and brazen 
vessels, as in Mark. “ For the Pharisees, and all 
the Jews, except they wash their hands diligently, 
eat not, holding the tradition of the elders; and 


CHRIST’S ILLUSTRATIONS 


109 


when they come from the market-place, except they 
bathe themselves, they eat not; and many other 
things there are, which they have received to hold, 
washings of cnps, and pots, and brazen vessels,” 
(Mark vii:3, 4). Christ however said, “To eat 
with unwashen hands defileth not the man,” (Matt. 
xv:20). The things which did defile were the 
things which came out of the heart, “ evil thoughts, 
murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false wit- 
ness, railings: these are the things which defile the 
man,” (Matt. xv:19, 20). “Woe unto you, scribes 
and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye cleanse the out- 
side of the cup and of the platter, but within they 
are full from extortion and excess. Thou blind 
Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup and of 
the platter, that the outside thereof may become 
clean also,” (Matt. xxiii:25, 26). Again, and 
still more severely he says, “ Woe unto you, scribes 
and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto 
whited sepulchres, which outwardly appear beauti- 
ful, but inwardly are full of dead men’s bones, 
and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly 
appear righteous unto men, but inwardly ye are 
full of hypocrisy and iniquity,” (Matt. xxiii:27, 
28). 

Christ wrought works of mercy on the Sabbath. 
The Jews, in their punctiliousness for the letter 
of the law, criticized His course in so doing. In 
pointing out to them their inconsistency, Christ re- 


110 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


fers to the ox and the ass, to the care their owners 
take of them, even on the Sabbath. “ Doth not 
each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or his 
ass from the stall, and lead him away to water- 
ing?” (Luke xiii:15). “ And he said unto them, 

Which of ye shall have an ass or an ox fallen into 
a well, and will not straightway draw him up on a 
Sabbath day?” (Luke xiv:5). In Matthew (xii: 
11) the reference is to a sheep fallen into a pit: 
“ How much then is a man of more value than a 
sheep ! Wherefore it is lawful to do good on the 
Sabbath day,” (Matt. xii:12). 

True almsgiving was prompted by an unselfish 
love for less favored fellow men. It was not to be 
heralded, nor to he prompted by the love of praise. 
Its merit lay in the motive, and in the self-sacrifice 
involved in it. Even the smallest, humblest gifts, 
prompted by love, counted for more in the sight 
of God than large gifts which involved no sacrifice. 
Easting, also, which was done openly, in order to 
gain the praise of men, was not acceptable to God. 
“ When therefore thou doest alms, sound not a 
trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the syn- 
agogues and in the streets, that they may have glory 
of men. Verily I say unto you, They have re- 
ceived their reward. But when thou doest alms, 
let not thy left hand know what thy right hand 
doeth: that thine alms may be in secret: and thy 
Father who seeth in secret shall recompense thee,” 


CHRIST’S ILLUSTRATIONS 


111 


(Matt, vi:2-4). “ Moreover when je fast, be not, 

as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they 
disfigure their faces, that they may be seen of men 
to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have received 
their reward. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint 
thy head, and wash thy face ; that thou be not seen 
of men to fast, but of thy Father who is in secret: 
and thy Father, who seeth in secret, shall recom- 
pense thee,” (Matt. vi:16-18). 

5. Many of Christ’s illustrations are of a mis- 
cellaneous character. 

The uncertainty of Christ’s second coming is il- 
lustrated by the different watches of the night. 
The first, or the evening watch, was from six to 
nine o’clock p. m. ; the second, the midnight watch, 
from nine o’clock to twelve ; the third, the cock crow 
watch, from twelve to three a. m. ; and the morning 
watch from three o’clock to six. “ Watch there- 
fore: for ye know not when the lord of the house 
cometh, whether at even, or at midnight, or at cock- 
crowing, or in the morning; lest coming suddenly 
he find you sleeping. And what I say unto you I 
say unto all, Watch,” (Mark xiii:35-37). 

Christ used the Hebrew expression for man’s 
physical nature, “ flesh and blood,” to denote hu- 
man agency.' “ And Simon Peter answered and 
said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living 
God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, 
Blessed art thou, Simon Bar- Jonah: for flesh and 


112 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my F atber 
who is in heaven,” (Matt. xvi:16, 17). 

Sometimes Christ uses various organs of the body 
by way of illustration or analogy, the eye to sym- 
bolize conscience, the eye and the ear as symbols 
of spiritual perception. “ The lamp of the body 
is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy 
whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye 
be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. 
If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, 
how great is the darkness!” (Matt. vi:22, 23). 
“ But blessed are your eyes, for they see ; and your 
ears, for they hear,” (Matt. xiii:16). 

Hunger and thirst are made to symbolize the 
cravings of the soul for God and divine things. 
Bread is used to typify Christ, and water the sat- 
isfying character of the Christian religion in 
quenching spiritual thirst. “ Blessed are they that 
hunger and thirst after righteousness : for they 
shall be filled,” (Matt. v:6). “Jesus said unto 
them, I am the bread of life,” (John vi:35). 
“ Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give 
him, shall never thirst,” (John iv:14). 

Some of Christ’s illustrations were drawn from 
Old Testament incidents. The fact that greater re- 
sponsibility rests upon those who have received 
the light and knowledge of the gospel than upon 
those who lived under the old dispensation, is 
brought out by reference to the overthrow of Sodom 


CHRIST’S ILLUSTRATIONS 


113 


and Gomorrah. “ Verily I say unto you, It shall 
be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Go- 
morrah in the day of judgment, than for that city,” 
(which would not receive the apostles and the gos- 
pel message) (Matt. x:15). 

Christ’s preexistence is affirmed in the express- 
sion, “ Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abra- 
ham was born, I am,” (John viii :58) . 

The crucifixion of Christ by which the work was 
completed which opened to men a way of pardon, 
was foreshadowed in the lifting up of the brazen 
serpent on a pole in the wilderness. “ And as 
Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even 
so must the Son of man be lifted up ; that whosoever 
believeth may in him have eternal life,” (John iii: 
14). 

From the examples which have been given — se- 
lections from a great variety of illustrations found 
in the teachings of Christ — it is easy to see how 
much they added to the vividness and force of those 
teachings, and how much they also add to our inter- 
est in them. 

II. 

A prominent form of Christ’s illustrations is to 
be found in His parables, or those which were based 
upon imaginary though probable incidents. The 
study of these introduces us to a rich and inviting 


114 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


field of investigation. There are not a few in- 
stances of parabolic teachings in the Old Testa- 
ment. Some of them are very beautiful, as, for 
example, the story of the little ewe lamb by which 
the prophet Nathan sought to point out to David 
his sin in coveting the wife of Uriah the Hittite, 
(II Sam. xii:l-7); Isaiah’s song of the well-be- 
loved in regard to his vineyard, (Isa. v:l-7) ; and 
Ezekiel’s vision of the valley of dry bones, (Ezek. 
xxxvii :1-14). But Christ’s use of this form of 
teaching was unique and impressive, while in qual- 
ity His parables were immeasurably superior to 
any, so far as we know, which were ever uttered. 
Though suggested by simple and familiar, some- 
times homely objects, they were employed to illus- 
trate the highest spiritual truth. 

As commonly used, a parable was a narrative, or 
a story, real or probable, employed as a means of 
conveying spiritual lessons. A little girl’s defini- 
tion, “ an earthly story with a heavenly meaning,” 
is not far from the truth. By this means, the at- 
tention of men was arrested. That grown people 
as well as children are interested in stories is plain 
from the hush which always comes over an audi- 
ence when a public speaker relates an incident. 
Thus Christ, in His use of parables, availed himself 
of one of the strongest principles of human nature. 
In this way also, the truth was rendered so clear 
as usually to be obvious at once, without argument, 


CHRIST’S ILLUSTRATIONS 


115 


or further explanation. The truth, thus made 
plain, was easily retained in people’s minds, while 
the more they reflected upon the parable, or the 
form in which it caine to them, the clearer its mean- 
ing became. 

The parable also served the purpose of a veil, so 
that the “ mysteries of the kingdom ” were only 
gradually disclosed, even to those who, through it, 
saw the outlines of the picture which had been 
drawn for them. Those who were in sympathy 
with Christ and His truth, would catch the mean- 
ing the soonest, at least their interest would be 
so awakened as to lead to further inquiry afterward, 
while the significance of the parable would only 
gradually dawn upon the minds of those who were 
prejudiced against it. By this means the hostility 
of the latter would be stayed. For this reason the 
parable has been compared to the pillar of cloud 
and fire, which was bright on the side toward the 
children of Israel, but dark on the side toward the 
hostile Egyptians. To the open and receptive 
mind, the parable disclosed the hidden power and 
beauty of spiritual truth, while the opposite result 
was produced upon the mind of such as were preju- 
diced and hardened against it. 

As to the interpretation of the parables, it is 
important to remember that the object in each case 
was to enforce some one main truth only. While 
in some cases the minor features and details of the 


116 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


parable may have had significance, -usually they 
were added to render the picture more vivid. This 
main truth is generally made apparent from the cir- 
cumstances, or from the manner in which the par- 
able was introduced. Sometimes the gospel writer 
prefaces the parable in a way to point its meaning, 
or a supplementary word helps to make it clear. 

Christ’s parables were of different kinds. Some 
were designed to teach doctrine, others were ethical 
in their application, and some were prophetic. But 
so varied were they both in topics and in the oc- 
casions which called them out, that attempts to 
classify them have not been entirely satisfactory. 
Some belonged to the early part of Christ’s minis- 
try, some to the intermediate, more to the latter 
part of it. Matthew and Luke have recorded more 
of Christ’s parables than Mark; John has given 
none at all. 

In order more fully to indicate the wealth of 
spiritual truth which is contained in the parable, 
and the continued timeliness of that truth in its 
application to the needs of the present day, as well 
as to emphasize the importance of the concrete 
method of presenting truth to render it the most 
highly effective, we may refer with profit to a few 
of the parables in detail. 

The thirteenth chapter of Matthew contains a 
cluster of seven parables, which have been called 


CHRIST’S ILLUSTRATIONS 


117 


the parables of the kingdom. It is not necessary 
to suppose that they were all given at the same 
time, although they may have been. Each was de- 
signed to set forth and illustrate some phase of 
the kingdom of heaven. It has been suggested that 
this chapter may have been an illustrative appendix 
to the Sermon on the Mount. 

The parable of the sower was the first of the par- 
ables comprising this group, the first indeed of 
Christ’s parables of which we have record. It 
was designed to illustrate the general effect of 
preaching the gospel. The kingdom of heaven was 
to come, not by power, as most of the Jews thought, 
but by means of a divine message and divine truths 
which would gradually do their work in the minds 
and lives of men. The results of this message 
would always and everywhere depend upon the atti- 
tude of those who heard it, as the growth of the 
seed depends upon the quality of the soil which re- 
ceives it. 

The scene of the parable was the shore of Gali- 
lee, somewhere near Capernaum. Christ was 
teaching by the seaside. Being pressed by a crowd 
of people, He betook Himself, for greater freedom 
of action, to a boat which was moored there, and 
caused it to be pushed out a little distance from the 
shore. Erom this unique pulpit He addressed the 
multitude which lined the beach. The parable 
which He employed presented a picture of what 


118 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


might at any time occur. Possibly it was suggested 
by the sight of a husbandman in a field near by. 
A sower went forth from his home in the village 
to his fields in the country to sow. The fields then, 
as in many parts of Palestine to-day, were unfenced, 
their boundaries being marked by stones set up for 
the purpose. Nor were there fenced highways in 
the land, such as those to which we are accustomed. 
The roadways of Palestine, then, as for the most 
part now, were footpaths, which ran through or 
by the side of the fields, and were trodden hard 
by the constant passing of men and beasts. The 
soil, too, of these fields, was often of a mixed qual- 
ity, so that its productiveness varied greatly. 

Some of the seed scattered by the sower, the 
Savior says, fell upon the wayside, i. e. upon the 
hard footpaths running through the fields. The 
seed, thus exposed, would soon he picked up by the 
birds that were on the watch for it. Other seed fell 
upon stony ground, or, more accurately, where there 
was but a thin layer of soil upon the hard under- 
lying rock. Such seed might take root and spring 
up, but with no depth of soil to nourish it, and a 
scorching sun beating upon it, it would soon wither 
and die. Other seed, falling among thorns, or 
rather in soil in which thorn roots abounded, would 
be choked before maturing by the rapid and dense 
growth of the thorns. But that portion of the seed 
which fell upon good soil — soil which was mellow 


CHRIST’S ILLUSTRATIONS 


119 


and well prepared for its reception — would bring 
forth abundantly, the yield depending upon the 
varying fertility of the field. In some cases it 
would be thirty, in others sixty, in others still, even 
one hundred fold. In every instance the results 
would correspond with the character of the soil. 
The lesson of the parable is plain. Christ Himself 
gave the interpretation. The seed is the word of 
God. The soil is human hearts. This word, by 
means of which Christ’s earthly kingdom was to 
be established, was dependent for results upon the 
manner in which it was received. The different 
degrees of preparation for receiving it are repre- 
sented by the different kinds of soil. The wayside 
hearer is the one who is careless, indifferent, in- 
attentive. He hears the word, but it soon passes 
from his mind. “ Then cometh the evil one and 
snatches away that which hath been sown in his 
heart.” The rocky ground hearer is the superfi- 
cial, impulsive hearer. His piety does not endure 
because it has no depth. When the testing time 
comes it soon gives way. “When tribulation or 
persecution arises because of the word, he stum- 
bleth.” The thorny ground hearer is the one in 
whom “ the care of the world, and the deceitfulness 
of riches, choke the word and he becometh unfruit- 
ful.” His efforts to serve God with a divided heart 
do not succeed. But the good ground hearer is the 
one whose heart is fully responsive to the truth, 


120 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


who allows the word to do its perfect work within 
him, and who thus becomes fruitful in graces of 
character and in service for the kingdom. In some 
cases the results are larger, in others smaller, but 
they all depend upon the capacity and receptivity 
of the hearer. 

In other places stress is laid upon the character 
of the preacher and the nature of his message. 
Here the responsibility of the hearer for the manner 
in which he receives the Word is emphasized. Ho 
matter how faithful the preaching of the Word 
may be, unless it be received into good and honest 
hearts it is of no avail. After the preacher has 
done his best, the responsibility is shifted from him 
to those who have heard him. The same need exists 
to-day, as then, for the injunction, “ Take heed, 
therefore, how ye hear.” 

The six parables of the Kingdom immediately 
following that of the sower, seem to be in pairs or 
couplets. Each member of the pair brings out a 
truth complementary to that set forth in the other. 
In the parable of the tares, for instance, the mixture 
in the kingdom of evil with good is illustrated, 
while in that of the dragnet the method by which 
the evil and the good are finally to be separated 
is made prominent. The couplet of the hidden 
treasure and the pearl of great price illustrates the 
acceptance of the gospel by the individual believer. 


CHRIST’S ILLUSTRATIONS 


1*21 


In the one case the man comes unexpectedly upon 
it, as upon hidden treasure; in the other the rare 
pearl is deliberately sought for. In either case 
when the value of that which has been discovered is 
recognized, no sacrifice is regarded too great to se- 
cure it. So to-day let any one really appreciate the 
nature of the gospel and the transcendent blessings 
which it is designed to impart, he will be ready to 
sacrifice anything in order to possess it. The con- 
nection between the parable of the mustard and 
the leaven, is evident. Both relate to the future of 
the kingdom; set forth its continued and steady 
progress; hut the one illustrates it in its external 
aspects, the other in its development from within. 
Small and insignificant in its beginnings, it will 
ultimately expand so as completely to fill the earth. 
Both parables were designed to encourage the disci- 
ples in the work upon which they had entered. 

The parable of the Great Supper, (Luke xiv: 
16-24), was called forth by a remark at the table 
to which Christ and others had been invited, by one 
of the chief Pharisees. The remark had disclosed 
the superficial ideas which prevailed among many 
as to the nature of the kingdom of God and the 
conditions of receiving its blessings. The fact of 
descent from Abraham was assumed to be sufficient 
to entitle one to its privileges. The necessity of 
moral and spiritual preparation, involving a radi- 


122 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


cal change of heart and life, seems not to have en- 
tered the Jewish mind. The parable was designed 
to point out the real nature of the kingdom, and the 
danger — to all who failed to fulfil the conditions 
of membership in it — of entirely missing its bless- 
ings. It was primarily a lesson of warning to the 
proud leaders of the people. 

A wealthy and prominent citizen of a great city, 
said Christ, made preparations for a magnificent 
feast. After the custom of the country, especially 
with men of rank, two calls were sent out, the first 
to convey the invitations, the second, to remind 
those who had been invited that all things were 
ready. The latter call signified that they were to 
suspend whatever occupation they were at the time 
engaged in, and go at once to the feast. Although 
the invitation was of such a character and from 
such a source that none were at liberty to ignore it, 
“ they all with one consent,” or as if by a common 
impulse, “ began to make excuse.” These excuses 
were varied according to the things which were oc- 
cupying the persons whose presence at the feast had 
been desired. Hot unnaturally the host was indig- 
nant that his courtesy was so lightly esteemed, 
whereupon he sent his servant into the streets and 
lanes of the city to bring in to the feast the poor, the 
maimed, the halt, and the blind. These not being 
sufficient to fill the table, he sent out again, this time 
to the highways and hedges outside the city, to 


CHRIST’S ILLUSTRATIONS 


123 


bring in all whom he could find, adding — and 
in this we have the pith of the story — “ I say unto 
you that none of those men who were bidden, shall 
taste of my supper.” In this way the table was 
filled. Those who had been first invited were left 
out altogether. 

The supper is a figure of the blessings intended 
for men in the gospel — pardon, peace of con- 
science, help in times of need, the hope of the life 
to come. The Jewish people were first of all in- 
vited, but the invitation was ignored by their lead- 
ers. The gospel blessings were then offered to the 
publicans and sinners whom the Pharisees despised. 
Later still the Gentiles were included. In this 
way the feast was provided with guests. But those 
who in their pride and impenitence had refused the 
invitation, were excluded. The parable taught a 
lesson of judgment upon the chosen nation, as rep- 
resented by its officials. The degraded outcasts 
of the people, together with the Gentiles, were re- 
ceived into the kingdom before them. 

But the parable teaches a lesson of importance 
beyond that intended for the Jewish officials. In 
a broader sense the invitation to the gospel feast 
is for all in whose hearing it is proclaimed. Such 
an invitation, involving men’s spiritual and eternal 
welfare, is not one to be lightly esteemed. It is 
paramount to a command. The practical question 
is as to what shall be done with it. As those who 


124 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


in the parable were first invited began with one ac- 
cord to make excuse, so the disposition of many 
people is to do the same to-day. As then, so now, 
the various excuses offered are but makeshifts. 
They are not sincere. Not that the things then 
alleged in excuse — the marrying of a wife, the ex- 
amination of a piece of real estate, the testing of 
five yoke of oxen which had been purchased — or 
many of those presented now, are in themselves im- 
proper or wrong, but that there is nothing to be 
compared in importance with the invitation to the 
feast, and nothing should be allowed to stand in 
the way of its acceptance. The fact that it is not 
accepted shows how little it is appreciated, and dis- 
closes the indifference and sin of those who decline 
it. That which is symbolized by the feast is the 
supreme good, and those who refuse it are giving 
the supreme place in their hearts to something else. 
It is a serious responsibility to receive an invita- 
tion to the gospel feast, and then refuse to accept 
it. Yet notwithstanding the refusal of many, the 
parable makes it plain that God’s tables will be 
filled at last. The saved may be in the minority 
now, but it will not always be so. Eventually they 
will vastly outnumber the unsaved. The time will 
come when under the sweetly compelling influences 
of God’s Spirit, the nations will flock to the gospel 
feast. Whether or not we individually accept the 
invitation, God’s purposes will not be defeated. 


CHRIST’S ILLUSTRATIONS 


125 


We owe the three parables of the fifteenth chap- 
ter of Luke — of the lost sheep, the lost coin, the 
prodigal son — to a sneering remark of the scribes 
and Pharisees in view of the graciousness of Christ’s 
reception of the outcasts and sinners who were be- 
ing attracted to His preaching. Numerous sugges- 
tive lessons appear upon the face of these parables, 
apart from their connections, hut it is only in the 
light of the circumstances which called them out 
and the particular object which Christ had in view 
in giving them, that their full significance appears. 

There seems at this time to have been a general 
movement of the less reputable classes toward 
Christ and His preaching. “ Now all the publicans 
and sinners were drawing near unto him to hear 
him,” (Luke xv:l). Nor is it difficult to account 
for this, since, instead of despising them as did the 
haughty, self-righteous Pharisees, Christ sought to 
do them good, to awaken their self-respect, to in- 
spire them with new hopes, especially to persuade 
them to abandon their old ways and to enter upon a 
new life. They seemed to appreciate and were re- 
sponding to His appeals, and in order to render His 
efforts in their behalf the more effective, He min- 
gled with them freely, even going so far as some- 
times to eat with them. But, strange to say, the 
scribes and Pharisees, who had themselves rejected 
him and his message, were greatly scandalized by 
his course, and made it an added reason for antag- 


126 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


onizing him. With a sneer they said : “ This man 
receiveth sinners and eateth with them.” Such a 
spirit on their part was not to go unrebuked, and 
in order to show them how entirely out of sympathy 
they were with the attitude of the heavenly Father 
toward the outcasts and the lost, Christ spoke the 
three parables of this chapter. While their general 
purport is the same, each one also emphasizes some 
phase in particular of the truth which He was pre- 
senting. 

The first is the parable of the Lost Sheep. Like 
those which follow, it was addressed to these carp- 
ing critics. Christ asks them to put themselves in 
the place of the owner of a flock of a hundred sheep, 
one of which has strayed away. Which one of you, 
he says, would not, in such circumstances, leave the 
ninety and nine sheep untended in the wilderness, 
and go after the lost one until he found it ? “ And 

when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoul- 
ders rejoicing. And when he cometh home, he 
calleth together his friends and his neighbors, say- 
ing unto them, Rejoice with me, for I have found 
my sheep which was lost.” 

The point of the parable is this, that if the recov- 
ery of a single lost sheep was an event so joyous 
as to warrant the owner of it in calling neighbors 
and friends together to rejoice with him — and the 
parable was true to the experience of shepherds at 
that time — much more was the recovery of a lost 


CHRIST’S ILLUSTRATIONS 


127 


soul (as of one of these publicans and sinners for 
instance) a cause of rejoicing to God. If they, the 
scribes and Pharisees, did not share in that joy, it 
only showed how entirely out of harmony they 
were with the spirit and purpose of the heavenly 
Father. Furthermore, rather than to criticize and 
complain, they ought to have sympathized with and 
joined Him in His efforts to rescue these sinful and 
lost men who were now showing signs of repentance. 
“ I say unto you,” He concludes, “ that even so 
there shall be joy in heaven over one sinner that 
repenteth, more than over ninety and nine right- 
eous persons who need no repentance,” — or who 
thought they needed none, like the scribes and Phar- 
isees. It was a stinging rebuke to the pride, the 
exclusiveness, the self-righteousness of these Jewish 
officials, and at the same time a most effective vindi- 
cation of Himself. 

The second parable, that of the Lost Coin > fol- 
lows immediately upon the first. Like that, it is 
thoroughly true to eastern life. The heirlooms of 
a Syrian woman consist, for the most part, of pieces 
of money, which are commonly worn in the hair. 
If one should fall out of its place to the floor — 
which often consisted of bare earth only, or perhaps 
covered with rushes which would naturally collect 
a large amount of dust and debris — it could not 
be recovered without a search, especially as windows 
were few and the light within was dim. When at 


128 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


length, after lighting a lamp and sweeping the 
honse, the coin was found, it would be quite natural 
for the woman who had lost it to call in her fe- 
male friends to rejoice with her. This is the Scrip- 
ture language as Christ gave it : “ Or what woman 

having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, 
doth not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek 
diligently until she find it? And when she hath 
found it, she calleth together her friends and neigh- 
bors, saying, Kejoice with me for I have found the 
piece which I had lost. Even so, I say unto you, 
there is joy in the presence of the angels of God 
over one sinner that repenteth,” (Luke xv:8-10). 

The lesson of this parable plainly is, in the main, 
the same as that of the parable of the lost sheep — 
that if a woman has such gladness over the finding 
of a lost piece of money, much more ought all right- 
minded persons to rejoice over the recovery of lost 
sinners. And yet in Christ’s soul-saving work, not 
only did these scribes and Pharisees refuse to sym- 
pathize with Him and rejoice over any success He 
might achieve, they even criticized Him for what He 
was doing. 

We come now to the third parable, that of the 
Prodigal Son. It is a gem of beauty. It has the 
form of a narrative, an imaginary incident, yet 
true to life. It pictures out what has been essen- 
tially the experience of many young men in all 
ages. 


CHRIST’S ILLUSTRATIONS 


129 


The parable is a realistic narrative of a young 
man, the younger of two sons, who, chafing under 
the restraints of the parental roof, and desirous of 
having his own way, of being independent, took that 
portion of his father’s property which would even- 
tually have fallen to him by inheritance, and started 
to make his way in the world. The father seeing 
this disposition in his son, had consented to this 
premature division of his possessions. The young 
man journeyed, we read, into a far country. Here 
he was free to follow the bent of his own will. 
Prodigal of his resources, he soon “ wasted his sub- 
stance with riotous living.” “ And when he had 
spent all,” the story continues, “ there arose a 
mighty famine in that country; and he began to 
be in want.” But there was no one to help him, or 
to relieve his necessities. At length, in his wretch- 
edness, he hired himself out to one of the citizens of 
that country, who sent him into the fields to feed 
swine — in the eye of a J ew, the most humiliating 
of all occupations. But so keen was his want, that 
he would gladly have fed upon the “ husks ” — the 
coarse fruit of the carob-tree — which the swine did 
eat, yet no one gave him even this. Then in his 
humiliation and distress, he “ came to himself,” 
thought of the home he had left and the abundance 
there, how much better the hired servants of his 
father fared than he in his present circumstances. 
He saw the folly of his course, was filled with shame 


130 SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 

and remorse. Thereupon he resolved to return, 
even in his poverty and rags, to the home he had 
left, make confession of his sins, and beg to be 
taken back; if necessary, take the place of a serv- 
ant. 

So he arose and started on the homeward journey. 
Even while he was yet a great way off, his father, 
who had long been waiting and praying for his son’s 
return, anticipating his coming, saw him in the dis- 
tance, ran toward him, and welcomed him with a 
passionate love which did not permit the son to 
complete his confession. He gave directions that the 
best robe the house afforded should be put upon 
him in place of his rags, that the signet ring should 
be put upon his finger, and shoes upon his feet, 
and that the fatted calf should be killed. u Let us 
eat, and make merry,” he said, “ for this my son 
was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is 
found.” And they began to be merry in honor of 
that son’s return. 

How the elder son appears upon the scene. Re- 
turning from his toil in the field, hearing the sound 
of music and dancing and learning the cause of it, 
he is filled with jealousy and anger, and will not go 
in. To his father’s entreaties he replies : “ Lo, 

these many years do I serve thee, and I never trans- 
gressed a commandment of thine; and yet thou 
never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry 
with my friends : but when this thy son came, which 


CHRIST’S ILLUSTRATIONS 


131 


hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou killedst 
for him the fatted calf.” The kind-hearted father 
meets all this complaint of the elder son in the same 
loving spirit which he had manifested toward the 
younger son. He reminds him of the place he had 
always held in the home; everything in it belonged 
to him, would eventually fall to him; but over the 
younger son, it was fitting to rejoice. His course 
had been wrong, and he had suffered the conse- 
quences of his sins, but now he had returned in pen- 
itence and great humility. “ It was meet to make 
merry and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, 
and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.” 

This parable repeats the lesson of the two para- 
bles preceding in its rebuke of the attitude and 
spirit of the scribes and Pharisees, and yet in a 
broader way. If those parables showed them how 
they ought to have acted, this one holds the mirror 
before them, showing — in the person of the unlov- 
ing, unbrotherly spirit of the elder son — how they 
actually were acting. As he, instead of rejoicing 
over the repentance and recovery of his wayward 
brother, was even jealous because no special con- 
sideration — although all his life he had been faith- 
ful and obedient — had been shown to himself, 
while the highest honor had been reserved for this 
profligate brother who had brought disgrace upon 
the family — so they, the scribes and Pharisees, in- 
stead of rejoicing over the repentant spirit of these 


132 SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 

publicans and sinners as they ought to have done, 
were even jealous because of the slight consideration 
which they, who had always — in their own opin- 
ion — been righteous and respectable, were receiv- 
ing from the great Teacher. 

Thus we see how the main lesson of this as well 
as of the preceding parables — that of a scathing 
rebuke of the cold, proud, exclusive, heartless scribes 
and Pharisees — is brought out distinctly and for- 
cibly in the light of the circumstances which called 
them forth. 

But this rehuke by no means exhausts the signif- 
icance of the parable. Ho parable indeed, is better 
adapted to impress practical lessons of universal 
application. One of these lessons is that of the 
forgiving love of God, as represented by the atti- 
tude of the father toward his erring but now pen- 
itent son — an encouragement to every repentant 
sinner. The degradation and woe, to the awful 
bondage to which sin leads, together with the expe- 
rience within the soul when the sinner really comes 
to himself, resolves to turn to God, to confess his sin 
and seek forgiveness, are also depicted. The anal- 
ogy seems perfect. It is to be remembered, however, 
that the parable attempts to portray only the human 
side of the sinner’s experience. Elsewhere we 
learn that it is the Holy Spirit which prompts the 
sinner to turn from his evil ways and to seek God. 


CHRIST’S ILLUSTRATIONS 


133 


From the parables which have now been men- 
tioned, it is evident how rich is the mine of spiritual 
truth to which their study introduces the Bible stu- 
dent, how practical and helpful the character of 
the truth they contain, and how simply, yet affec- 
tionately, Christ set it forth. The adaptedness, 
also, of the parables to the present time and present 
needs, is made very evident. The value, too, of il- 
lustration, especially such as is drawn from the 
scenes, incidents, and experiences, of daily life, or 
from the Bible itself — which is full of illustrative 
material — is distinctly emphasized. Christ’s con- 
crete method of presenting truth may well be stud- 
ied by those who are called to set it forth to-day. 


CHAPTER V, 


LIGHT FROM THE MONUMENTS 

E have seen what light is thrown upon the 



▼ ? * Scriptures by a knowledge of geography, 
and the topography of the Holy Land; by an ac- 
quaintance with the manners and customs of the 
people, which have not materially changed since pa- 
triarchal times ; by an understanding of the illustra- 
tions in which the Bible abounds, particularly those 
employed by the Great Teacher. All these sources 
of information serve as sidelights to render the 
pages of the sacred Word more luminous, its scenes 
more vivid, its characters and events more real. By 
means of them, one’s interest in reading and study- 
ing the Scriptures is greatly enhanced. 

But there is another line of study in this connec- 
tion — made possible by the investigations and dis- 
coveries of recent years — which cannot fail to 
yield profitable returns to one who is interested in 
the Bible. It is that which pertains to the monu- 
ments and to the light which they throw upon por- 
tions of the sacred Word. During the last half 
century especially, men have gone forth with pick 
and spade and have unearthed vast ruins and dis- 


134 


LIGHT FROM THE MONUMENTS 


135 


covered extended records of the past in the old em- 
pires of Egypt, Mesopotamia and Babylonia. By 
this means rich mines of information have been 
opened, not alone with reference to the history of 
these lands themselves, bnt also to that of the coun- 
tries with which they were brought into political 
or other relations. Hieroglyphic, cuneiform, and 
other inscriptions upon monuments, temple walls, 
tablets of clay, cylinders of stone, even upon moun- 
tain sides, made centuries, even millenniums ago, 
have been deciphered; sculptured scenes in bas-re- 
lief and wall paintings have been interpreted, and 
floods of light thrown upon the life and character 
of historic personages and peoples, and upon the 
movements and conquests of their armies. More 
than this, through incidental allusions to persons, 
places, and events mentioned in the Scriptures, im- 
portant Biblical statements have been confirmed, 
and obscure or meager passages have been cleared 
up or supplemented. The study of these discov- 
eries — material for which is constantly accumu- 
lating — is most interesting, even fascinating. 
Hot that the information thus gained is infallibly 
reliable, least of all that it is to be regarded as more 
trustworthy than the statements of the Bible, but 
that these discoveries afford an independent source 
of information of real value. 

In connection with our study of sidelights in 
general upon the Bible, it will be profitable to take 


136 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


a bird’s-eye glance over this wide field, in so far at 
least as it affords added light upon our understand- 
ing of the sacred Word and helps to confirm our 
confidence in it. 

I. 

First of all we turn our attention to Egypt, 
whose vast storehouse of antiquities and whose in- 
numerable hieroglyphic inscriptions are now yield- 
ing up their secrets. As a result, not only are new 
evidences of the greatness of the old civilizations 
of the ISTile valley brought to light, but testimony 
is secured to the accuracy of Biblical references to 
the character of the ancient Egyptians. A new 
background has also been provided for such of the 
Old Testament scenes and narratives as pertain to 
Egypt — the stories of Abraham and Joseph, of the 
sojourn of the Israelites, of Moses and the exodus. 
There are confirmations too, of the Biblical record 
of Egyptian invasions of the Holy Land, of the re- 
lations which existed between Egypt and Palestine, 
even between Egypt and the empires far to the east. 
These hieroglyphic inscriptions long baffled the ef- 
forts of modern scholarship until, in a strange way, 
a key to their interpretation was discovered. This 
was through the finding of the Rosetta stone with its 
trilingual inscription. 

The discovery of this stone and of the key which 
its inscriptions afforded, was on this wise. In the 


LIGHT FROM THE MONUMENTS 


137 


year 1799, at the close of Napoleon’s Egyptian cam- 
paign, and as one of its most useful results, a French 
explorer while making excavations near Rosetta at 
the mouth of the Nile, came upon a block of granite 
which, when removed from its bed, was found to be 
three feet nine inches in length, two feet four inches 
in width, eleven inches thick, and to contain inscrip- 
tions in three languages. The characters of the up- 
per inscription of fourteen lines resembled those 
everywhere to he seen on the obelisks and ruined 
temples of the land. Below were thirty-two lines of 
another kind of script. At the bottom were fifty- 
four lines — of which twenty-eight were complete 
— in Greek uncial letters. The latter were read 
without difficulty, and told the story of the stone. 
The natural conjecture was that these three inscrip- 
tions were the same, as was afterward proved to be 
the case. The Rosetta stone is now in the British 
museum where it is open to the inspection of visitors. 
For a number of years the two upper inscriptions 
remained riddles, hut at length, through painstaking 
comparisons with the Egyptian language, their 
meaning was determined, and a door opened to a 
knowledge of the ancient civilization of the region. 
Light has also been thrown upon the period of 
the Israelitish sojourn in Egypt, and subsequent 
Egyptian history in its relations to Palestine. 
“Thus when human learning stood dumb and 
wondering before Egyptian hieroglyphics, Provi- 


138 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


dence came to the aid of scholars by revealing 
stories brought from their hiding places, and opened 
a way for reading the monuments.” 

When Abraham went into Egypt, (Gen. xii:10 
and ff.), the empire was already old. According 
to the records, its history began with Menes who 
united the independent states of the Nile valley 
into a single kingdom, and established his capital 
at Memphis. The first six dynasties represented 
what is called the Old Empire. During this 
period, art and culture reached a higher point than 
at any subsequent time in Egyptian history. An 
era of disaster and decline followed, but under the 
warrior princes of the 12th dynasty the empire 
revived and the capital was established at Thebes. 
This Middle Empire, as it is termed, did not last 
long. The country was overrun by Semitic in- 
vaders from Canaan and Arabia who established 
their seat at Zoan, and continued to rule the coun- 
try for over five centuries. These foreigners are 
known in history as the Hyksos, or Shepherds. It 
must have been while these Hyksos kings were hold- 
ing court at Zoan that Abraham entered the land, 
for here he found men of Semitic blood like him- 
self, and speaking the same language. Already 
these foreign rulers were designated by the Egyp- 
tian title Pharaoh, and other Egyptian customs had 
been adopted by them. These facts add interest 


LIGHT FROM THE MONUMENTS 


139 


to the story of Abraham in Egypt, and help to 
make it real. Its settings, in the light of the 
prevailing customs of the times as now known, are 
all natural. 

The same is true of the story of Joseph, (Gen. 
chs. xxxvii-1). It is probable that the Hyksos 
were still supreme when he was carried into Egypt. 
Many things in the Biblical description of him, of 
his dress and work, are confirmed by the customs 
of the ancient Egyptians. Even the form and 
dress of the dreams referred to in the narra- 
tive, including Pharaoh’s dream, are thoroughly 
Egyptian. Several references to widespread 
droughts growing out of the failure of the annual 
rise of the Nile, are found on the monuments. One 
famine of seven years’ duration at about the time 
of Joseph is especially described. Storehouses of 
grain were provided by some of the rulers against 
just such emergencies. The name Goshen has not 
yet been discovered on any inscription, but it must 
have been in the neighborhood of Zoan. Erom the 
reference to the latter in Numbers xiii:22, it is 
inferred that Zoan and the Hebrews were brought 
into close relations. Each new discovery touch- 
ing the period when Abraham and Joseph were in 
Egypt, increases the probability of a Hyksos 
domination of the country at that time. 

At length a native Egyptian dynasty recovered 
the throne and the Hyksos usurpers were driven 


140 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


from the country. But the expulsion of the latter 
meant oppression to the Israelites who had now 
for some years, or since the time of Joseph, been 
dwellers in the land of Goshen. Their numbers 
meanwhile had greatly increased. 

The hatred of shepherds which the Egyptians 
felt, undoubtedly grew out of the fact that the 
usurping Hyksos kings were of shepherds’ origin. 
This would sufficiently account for the fact that 
under the new regime the Israelitish shepherds 
were not regarded with favor. Eor the Egyptians 
themselves, a new era of conquest and of glory was 
inaugurated. The war against Asiatics, begun in 
Egypt against the Hyksos, was carried into Asia 
itself. Under Thothmes III and other noted 
monarchs of the 18th dynasty, the Egyptian armies 
traversed Syria and penetrated as far as the Eu- 
phrates. The records of this brilliant period are 
easily read. Gn the temple walls of Karnak at 
Thebes, Thothmes III gives a list of Canaanitish 
towns which submitted to him. Among these we 
recognize several familiar Biblical names, such as 
Zarthan, Beroth, Taanach, Shunem, Laish, Merom, 
Kishon, Sharon, Joppa, Beyrout, Accho, Heshon, 
Megiddo, Hamath, Damascus. The Cleopatra 
Heedle on the Thames embankment at London is an 
obelisk recording the achievements of this monarch. 
It was reared at the time when Israel was sweating 
under the task-master in Egypt. 


LIGHT FROM THE MONUMENTS 


141 


This period of Egyptian history has been won- 
derfully opened up by the Tel-el-Amarna tablets. 
To this place an early monarch removed his capital 
from Thebes, transferring to the palace library 
all the national archives. In 1877 a peasant who 
was seeking antiquities for purposes of sale found 
a number of tablets among the ruins of the place. 
Continued search led to the finding of over 300 of 
these tablets, entire or fragmentary. On them 
were writings in cuneiform characters. As such 
characters belonged only to the Euphrates valley, 
their existence in Egypt was a surprise. The mys- 
tery was cleared up when it was discovered that 
these tablets were letters or documents, written 
mostly in the Babylonish language, of the 15th 
century, B. C. They had been sent by rulers or 
officials of several Asiatic countries to the king 
of Egypt, and speak of political conditions, social 
relations and exchanges of gifts. Among these 
documents were communications from the governor 
of Jerusalem itself, in which were references to 
numerous places in Canaan. Out of 150 of these 
places referred to, no fewer than 100 can be identi- 
fied. The existence of such documents, written 
probably a century before the exodus and the con- 
quest, can hardly fail to strengthen our sense of 
the historical truth of the Biblical books which re- 
late to this period. 

The particular Pharaoh of the oppression, re- 


142 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


f erred to in Exodus i:8 as the new king who arose 
over Egypt “ who knew not Joseph,” has long been 
supposed by scholars to have been Raineses II. 
He battled with the Hittites on the plains of 
Canaan, and established a line of Egyptian for- 
tresses as far north as Damascus. The tablets 
which he engraved on the rocks at the mouth of 
Dog River in the vicinity of Beyrout, and which 
still remain, bear their testimony to his victorious 
campaigns. An interesting record has come down 
from the reign of this monarch, of a person, prob- 
ably an official, who traveled through Palestine 
when it was nominally tributary to Egypt. This 
record shows what the country was like some time 
before its conquest by Joshua. Some well-known 
places are spoken of. Tyre, says this traveler, 
was built on an island. A ford of the Jordan at 
Bethshean is mentioned. Joppa at that time was 
surrounded by gardens of date palms. 

This Pharaoh imposed upon the Israelites the 
task of building store cities, (Ex. i:ll). Through 
excavations the site of the ancient city Pithom, 
one of these store-cities, has been discovered. 
Hearly the whole area of the city consisted of 
granaries. There were massive buildings with 
thick walls, whose only opening was at the top 
where the grain was poured in. Compartments 
were formed in the larger structures. The whole 
was made of brick work. Contrary to the Egyp- 


LIGHT FROM THE MONUMENTS 


143 


tian customs of building, by which the slime from 
the Nile was used in brick-laying, the lower layers 
are laid in mortar. This fact is mentioned in 
Exodus, (i:14). These lower layers are made of 
brick in the making of which reed or straw was 
used. The bricks of the next layers above are 
made without reed or straw. The Egyptian name 
of the district in which Pithom was located exactly 
corresponds to the Succoth of the exodus, (xiii:20). 

A discovery in Egypt in 1881 included mum- 
mies of some of the greatest of the Pharaohs, 
Rameses II among them. The face of the latter 
was of a highly intellectual type and indicated 
great firmness. He ruled for sixty-seven years and 
died at the age of ninety. This mummy is pre- 
served in the Ghizeh museum. 

The Pharaoh of the Exodus is believed to have 
been Meneptah II, a son of Rameses II. His 
reign was disturbed not only by the flight of the 
Israelites, but also by a great invasion of northern 
Egypt by the Libyans which was repulsed with 
difficulty. Other troublous events followed, all of 
which would help to explain how Canaan was left 
to itself about the time of Joshua’s invasion. Ac- 
counts of the wars of Rameses II preceding 
Meneptah’s reign, show that Canaan was not in- 
habited by Israelites at the time of his death, and 
statements in the book of Judges preclude the sup- 
position that Palestine was an Egyptian province 


144 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


in Joshua’s time. The tribes of Canaan which 
had long been in subjection to Egypt had little or 
no union between themselves as J oshua found them, 
hence were unable to resist his advance. Egyptian 
chronology is as yet only fragmentary, but it has 
been thought probable that the exodus occurred 
about B. C. 1275, or a little later. The name of 
Israel is twice found on Egyptian monuments, one 
of them being of the time of Meneptah II. Por- 
traits of some of the Canaanitish peoples show us 
the kind of soldiers who disputed with Joshua the 
occupancy of the promised land. These facts add 
vividness and a sense of reality to the story of the 
bondage of Israel in Egypt. 

When David a few centuries later founded his 
empire, he had two powerful neighbors, Egypt 
and Assyria. Both of them were in a state of de- 
cline so that he was able to exercise a free hand 
in carrying on his conquests. Egypt was the first to 
recover her strength. In I Kings xiv:25, 26, (see 
also II Chron. xii), we find a reference to an in- 
vasion of Judah by Shishak, king of Egypt, “ And 
it came to pass in the fifth year of King Behoboam, 
that Shishak king of Egypt came up against Je- 
rusalem.” This is confirmed by inscriptions in 
stone in the Karnak Temple at Thebes, which give 
an account of the success of this monarch’s mili- 
tary expeditions. Among his conquests the king- 
dom of Judah is especially mentioned. Among 


LIGHT FROM THE MONUMENTS 


145 


the names of conquered, cities we find Gaza, 
Taanach, Adullam, Shunem, Gibeon, and another 
name probably signifying Jerusalem. There are 
a number of sculptured representations of the 
campaign. 

From such bits of information derived from the 
monuments of Egypt, much has been learned of the 
early history of that country, and of the manners 
and customs which prevailed in it. We see also 
how much confirmation there is, directly and in- 
directly, of those narratives in the Bible which 
relate to Egypt, what a background is afforded for 
them, and the sense of reality which is imparted 
to them. 

II. 

We turn next to the regions east of Palestine, 
the supposed cradle of the race — the Valley of 
the Tigris and the Euphrates. Here the re- 
sults of investigation, of excavation, of the de- 
cipherment of inscriptions, have been even greater 
and more notable than those in Egypt. 

We are not to forget that the Old Testament his- 
tory is but fragmentary at best. It does not pre- 
tend to give a full and concise narration of events. 
Only such periods and such incidents of those 
periods as most clearly set forth the relations of 
God to His ancient people and of His providential 
guidance and discipline of them in the interests 


146 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


of redemption, are dwelt upon. Often there are 
great gaps when we have no insight whatever into 
what has taken place. Long periods are sometimes 
passed over in silence. Not a few of these breaks 
in the Old Testament record have already been 
filled out from the inscriptions on the monuments 
of surrounding countries. Whole campaigns and 
long periods have been revealed in the light of re- 
cent discoveries. Indeed, a great empire, that of 
the Hittites, may he said to have been discovered 
in this way. 

For centuries travelers had noticed many strange 
ruins, artificial mounds, remains of cities and 
towers — some very extensive — dry beds of an- 
cient canals, in the valley of the Tigris and the Eu- 
phrates. Here and there hits of burnt brick and 
fragments of tablets, upon which were peculiar 
wedge-shaped characters, were found. No one 
could tell whether these characters represented a 
language or were merely ornamental. But many 
of these mounds have been opened during the past 
half century, and large quantities of these clay 
bricks and tablets, with their strange carvings, have 
been collected and are now in European and 
American museums. Some of them have, with 
great difficulty, been deciphered. 

Buins which were unearthed at Khorsabad have 
been proved to he the remains of a palace. Numer- 
ous large rooms were opened. Nearly all of them 


LIGHT FROM THE MONUMENTS 


147 


were wainscoted with sculptured alabaster slabs, 
upon which there were representations in relief 
of battles, sieges, triumphal processions, hunting 
scenes, etc. Across the face of these figures were 
characters similar to those on the burnt bricks scat- 
tered over the plain. These discoveries aroused tre- 
mendous interest. To what age did these ruins be- 
long ? Did those cuneiform characters represent a 
language ? It finally became clear that these were 
the ruins of a palace of Sargon II of Assyria, no 
doubt one of the most magnificent palaces of the an- 
cient world. It covered twenty-five acres in the 
north part of a section which was almost a mile 
square, and which was surrounded by a high wall 
with two gates on a side. A great quantity of these 
antiquities was sent to the Louvre Museum at Paris. 

Next we read of the excavations of Layard, an 
Englishman, at Nimrud, a mound twenty miles east 
of Mosul. He too discovered a palace, which 
proved to be of the Assyrian king Assumatsirpal 
who reigned B. C. 884-60, a contemporary of 
Omri, king of Israel. Here were many figures 
in relief and the same wedge-shaped characters as 
those found at Khorsabad. A large collection was 
taken to the British Museum in London. Layard’s 
work was continued for several years, and other 
important ruins were unearthed. 

Later the ruins of Nineveh were uncovered — 
ruins which had lain undisturbed for 2,500 years. 


148 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


The site of the city referred to in the books of 
Jonah and Nahum had been lost and forgotten. 
Here the remains of a palace of magnificent pro- 
portions were found. It was shown to be the 
palace of Sennacherib, king of Assyria, (B. C. 
705-681), whose campaign against Judah in B. C. 
701 is stated, (II Kings xviii:13, xix:35 and 
ff.), to have terminated in the destruction of his 
army of 185,000 men. The palace covered an 
area of eight acres. As in the other instances re- 
ferred to, the rooms were lined with inscriptions 
and records of events home and foreign. Further 
investigations disclosed in one of the mounds a 
library of 30,000 tablets, and cylinders which had 
belonged to Assurbanipal, (B. C. 668-626), the 
last king of Assyria, a contemporary of Manasseh 
and Josiah of Judah. These clay tablets, after 
having been impressed with the cuneiform char- 
acters, were baked bard to prevent them from 
crumbling. 

Other archaeological remains were found in lower 
Babylonia, revealing an ancient civilization of sur- 
prising extent. Many of these antiquities belonged 
to an age far anterior to the time of Abraham. 
Within a few years there have been marvelous dis- 
coveries by an American company at Nippur in 
that region. Thousands of tablets have been un- 
earthed, and tons of antiquities have been deposited 
in the museums of this country and Europe. We 




THE PRISM OF SENNACHERIB. 

This record of Sennacherib’s conquests is now in the British Museum. The face nearest 
the spectator gives the latter part of the account of Sennacherib’s expedition against Hezekiah, 
which ends just before the division line about half-way down the column. Sennacherib does 
not mention Tirhakah as Hezekiah’s ally, nor is there, in his account, any word of disaster. 










LIGHT FROM THE MONUMENTS 


149 


now see that Abraham came to Canaan from a 
civilization which was surprisingly advanced. Ur, 
the city from which he came originally, was a cen- 
ter of empire 2,000 years before the patriarch 
lived. Haran, 600 miles from Ur, was an im- 
portant frontier town in the northwest part of 
Mesopotamia, and on the highroad which led from 
Babylonia and Assyria to Palestine, commanding 
this road not only, but a ford also of the Euphrates. 
The cities of Ur and Haran were curiously re- 
lated. Both were centers of a common worship. 
The journey of Abraham first from Ur to Haran 
with his father Terah, and later from Haran to 
Canaan, is therefore by no means an improbability. 
The monuments, indeed, render it exceedingly 
probable that the account of it in the eleventh and 
twelfth chapters of Genesis is correct. 

The Hippur tablets from the reign of Darius II 
contain a number of Jewish names found in the 
genealogical lists of Ezra, Hehemiah, and 
Chronicles. 

But while immense quantities of inscriptions and 
sculptures of the ages past have been and are ac- 
cumulating, it has not been an easy matter to de- 
cipher and understand them. Yet as in Egypt, 
so here, a key was at length obtained with which 
to unlock their meaning. In 1835 an English 
officer in the Persian army, H. C. Bawlinson, made 


150 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


a discovery in the Zagros mountains which ulti- 
mately led to a solution of the difficulty. It was 
the now famous Behistun rock within the ancient 
realm of the Persian monarch Darius. Upon the 
almost perpendicular side of a limestone mountain 
rising out of the plain to a height of 1,700 feet, he 
saw, about 350 feet above the base, a large space 
which had evidently been hewn off and polished, 
upon which there was a large bas-relief represent- 
ing a king before whom stood a long line of captives 
bound with rope, neck to neck. Adjacent were 
several columns of cuneiform inscriptions in three 
different languages, which afterward proved to be 
Persian, Median and Babylonian. By climbing 
over slippery and dangerous places Bawlinson fi- 
nally reached a narrow ledge of rock fourteen inches 
wide at the foot of the inscription. He resolved 
to copy it, and his efforts to do so continued, at 
intervals, over a period of four years, when the 
work was completed. To do this various schemes 
were devised. At one time he was suspended on 
a swing in front of the writings. Hext he set 
to work to translate the inscriptions. By various 
processes, guesses, testings, comparisons with San- 
scrit and other languages, he succeeded. Ten years 
after the discovery, he sent his translation of the 
Persian text of this Behistun inscription to Europe, 
and in 1847, text, translation, and a commentary 
upon it, were published. It was shown that these 


LIGHT FROM THE MONUMENTS 


151 


inscriptions were cut here by order of Darius I, 
king of Persia, about 515 B. C. and formed a 
valuable historical record of the time. In due 
season, as a result of the efforts of scholars, the 
other two languages began to yield their secrets. 
It was found that all three inscriptions were the 
same, and that they were addressed by Darius to 
the three chief populations of the Persian empire. 
Thus a key to the reading of the cuneiform char- 
acters in which the East so abounds, was at last 
discovered, and in a way similar to that by which 
the hieroglyphics of Egypt came at last to he un- 
derstood. This decipherment of these wedge- 
shaped characters has been one of the marvelous 
achievements of the century. 

Some of these inscriptions relate to prehis- 
toric times, as in the case of some of those in 
Egypt. Among them are stories as to the creation, 
the origin and early history of mankind, the temp- 
tation, the deluge, the confusion of tongues. 
These legends resemble the early chapters in 
Genesis, although the spirit of the two accounts 
differs essentially. The Scripture narratives are 
far superior in every way. The seventh day was 
observed as a day of rest by the ancient Babylonians 
as among the Jews. Many statements in the 
fourteenth chapter of Genesis, which have been 
pronounced absurd and impossible by certain 
critics, are corroborated. The records show that 


152 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


in the days of Abraham the relations between the 
kings of Canaan and of Babylon were jnst what 
is there described. Such campaigns as that of 
Chedorlaomer and his allies were not unusual. 
Conquerors from Mesopotamia sometimes swept 
down upon the coast of the Mediterranean, and 
even the name of Chedorlaomer, together with the 
names of the other kings mentioned in Genesis 
xiv as having been associated with him, has been 
discovered. 

Among the inscriptions which pertain to cam- 
paigns of eastern monarchs to . the westward and 
which are of interest in so far as they related to 
Palestine and Syria and from being referred to 
in the Old Testament, are those especially of 
Shalmaneser II, Sargon II and Sennacherib of 
Assyria, and Nebuchadrezzar of Babylon. 

The reign of Shalmaneser II extended from 
about B. C. 860 to B. C. 825. His father had 
made conquests to the Mediterranean, but Syria 
and Israel had been left intact. The son aimed 
to secure for Assyria the entire region west of the 
Euphrates. His own record bears testimony to 
the existence of Ahab, of Ben-hadad, and Hazael 
of Damascus, and of “ Jehu, son of Omri.” The 
first intimation of his approach to Syria and Israel 
is found in II Kings xvi. These two countries had 
been warring against each other, but now formed 


LIGHT FROM THE MONUMENTS 


153 


an alliance in the presence of a common danger. 
Evidence of the truth of these statements is found 
in the inscriptions of this monarch, showing the 
attempt of these allied powers to withstand him. 
Nevertheless he reduced Damascus, Hauran, and 
all the territory to the Mediterranean. One of 
his inscriptions speaks of “ 10,000 men belonging 
to Ahab of Israel.” The records of the several 
western campaigns of this Assyrian monarch help 
to complete the picture of the political situation in 
Syria and Palestine at that period as partially 
given in the Old Testament. 

Tiglath-Pileser III has left important docu- 
ments in which he mentions Azariah (Uzziah) 
and Ahaz of Judah, as well as Pekah and Hoshea 
of Israel, and Pezin of Damascus. He was pre- 
vented by difficulties near home from engaging ex- 
tensively in western campaigns. This afforded 
both Israel and Judah opportunity to develop their 
resources. The acme, indeed, of both these coun- 
tries, commercially and politically, was reached 
during this period. Jeroboam II conquered much 
territory to the north and south. The demoraliz- 
ing effect of this prosperity upon the moral and re- 
ligious condition of the people, is set forth in 
graphic terms by Amos and Hosea. When As- 
syria began to revive and to resume her western 
campaigns, great political and social distress re- 


154: 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


suited to both Israel and Judah, (Hosea chs. 
iv-xiv). Here we have the beginning of the 
prophecies of Isaiah. 

In B. C. 722, Sargon II of Assyria, after a 
three years’ siege — which had been begun by Shal- 
maneser his predecessor, but who died before it 
was completed — captured the stronghold of 
Samaria, capital of Israel, and carried off 27,000 
of the inhabitants. The possession of this fortress 
was of great consequence to Assyria, since the val- 
ley of Megiddo, in or near which it was located, 
was the great highway of caravans and armies, and 
the historic center of a populous and fertile coun- 
try. Sargon’ s records describe this campaign, and 
correspond with that given in II Kings xviii:9-ll. 
We read also, (Isaiah xx:l), that he besieged and 
captured Ashdod, one of the five great Philistine 
cities. Por some time this Scripture reference 
was questioned, but among the ruins of S argon’s 
palace at Khorsabad, a description of this expedi- 
tion to Ashdod has been found. It is attributed to 
the year B. C. 711. The death of the king, as 
recorded, occurred B. C. 705. Thus the dis- 
credited allusion of Isaiah is confirmed. 

Sennacherib ascended the Assyrian throne upon 
the death of his father, Sargon II. Hezekiah was 
king of Judah at that time. Three years later 
Phoenicia and Judah revolted against the Assyrian 


LIGHT FROM THE MONUMENTS 


155 


power, and this led Sennacherib to march against 
them. It was in connection with this campaign 
that his army was overtaken by a disaster, by which 
185,000 men were smitten in one night, and the 
capture of Jerusalem averted. The Biblical ac- 
count of this campaign and this disaster, which is 
quite full, is given in Isaiah xxxvi and xxxvii. In 
Sennacherib’s inscriptions there is an account of 
this campaign, but without any reference to the 
disaster to his army. He mentions, however, the 
capture of forty-six of Hezekiah’s strong cities. 
The two accounts supplement each other. 

Assyria was destroyed six or seven years before 
B. C. 600, and now after 2,500 years of silence, 
we learn, by the testimony of the monuments, of 
her ancient vastness and power, as we also see how 
perfectly these records correspond with the char- 
acter given her by the Bible writers. Such Bib- 
lical references are found in Isaiah v:25-29, in 
Nahum, in Zeph. ii :13— 15, and elsewhere. As far 
as these descriptions go, they harmonize with the 
accounts given in the inscriptions which have come 
to light. A terrible picture of the final tragedy of 
Nineveh’s fall is painted by the prophet Nahum. 

Out of the ruins of the Assyrian empire, that of 
Babylonia arose. But at this time the power of 
Egypt was increasing, and Egyptian kings began 
again to dream of an Asiatic empire. This led 
to the eastern expedition of Necho, king of Egypt. 


156 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


As lie was passing through the coast lands of Pales- 
tine, Josiah, king of Judah, attempted to resist 
him. The result was Josiah’s defeat and death, 
(II Kings xxiii:29). 

The Egyptian and Babylonian armies met at 
Carchemish. Nebuchadrezzar, son of Nabopolas- 
ser, king of Babylon, and who soon after became 
king, was at the head of the Babylonian forces. The 
Egyptians were defeated and forced to retreat, 
(Jer. xlvi). This battle settled the question of the 
mastery of western Asia, and Judah and the coun- 
tries adjoining came under the Babylonian yoke. 
Later Judah revolted, was overpowered by Nebu- 
chadrezzar, Jerusalem was taken and plundered, 
and large booty carried to Babylon, together with 
10,000 captives. As far as discovered, the in- 
scriptions of Nebuchadrezzar give but meager ac- 
counts of his exploits, yet they are sufficient to 
indicate his administrative ability. In their refer- 
ences to his Egyptian campaigns, of which both 
Jeremiah and Ezekiel prophesied, the Babylonian 
army not only swept the whole of the northern por- 
tion of Egypt, but penetrated as far south as As- 
souan. His records are quite full, however, in re- 
gard to his building operations at Babylon, (Dan. 
iv:30). Many bricks from the ruins of Babylon 
bear the name of this monarch. 

Although no cuneiform inscriptions have yet 
been discovered describing Nebuchadrezzar’s cam- 


LIGHT FROM THE MONUMENTS 


157 


paigns against Judah and Phoenicia, a curious 
memorial of them was found some years ago on 
the north bank of Dog River a few miles north of 
Beirut. An ancient highroad from Damascus to 
the seacoast led along the gorge which this river 
has made. By the side of this old road where it 
winds around the promontory which forms the 
south hank of the river, foreign conquerors of Asia, 
whether Egyptian or Assyrian, have left carved 
monuments of themselves. Rameses II of Egypt, 
Sennacherib and Esar-Haddon of Assyria, have 
all recorded their names and deeds upon the face 
of the cliff. Hear them the obliterated monuments 
of other, and perhaps older, kings may still be 
seen. But there was also an inscription by Nebu- 
chadrezzar on a loftier cliff on the north bank of 
the river, long hidden from view by a mass of 
shrubs and ferns. The existence of this inscrip- 
tion has only recently become known. This in- 
scription, though much injured by time and 
weather, is still partly decipherable, and gives a 
list of the wines of Lebanon, among which the 
wines of Helban near Damascus were most highly 
prized. 

Hot many years after this a new power arose 
in the east. This was the empire of Cyrus. He 
soon absorbed the Median kingdom, and finally 
Babylon fell under his sway. The annals of 
Habonidus, the last Semitic king of Babylon, and 


158 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


of Cyrus, picture the fall of this great city. Bel- 
shazzar is seen to be the son, co-regent, of Naboni- 
dus. The inscriptions which relate to Cyrus con- 
firm all that the Scriptures state of the relations 
between him and the Jewish people. They also 
make it necessary to revise some of the opinions 
which have been held concerning him and his re- 
ligious views. Instead of being a Persian and a 
monotheist bent on destroying the idols of Baby- 
lon, as many have supposed, it appears that he was 
an Elamite and a polytheist. Erom motives of 
state policy he adopted the gods of conquered 
countries. One of the inscriptions discovered re- 
fers to the restoration of the Babylonian captives 
to their several homes. It was a conviction of 
Cyrus that the deportation of captive peoples was 
a mistake. It was through this conviction that 
God worked to bring about the fulfilment of his 
promises to the Jewish exiles. Those who chose 
to do so were allowed to return to Jerusalem. His 
proclamation to this effect is given in Ezra I. 
This was B. C. 538. Very likely it was from po- 
litical considerations that he encouraged this re- 
turn and the rebuilding of the strong fortress of 
Jerusalem. This would operate as a check against 
any advances of Egypt in that direction. The 
providential significance of the rise of Cyrus is 
vividly set forth in Isaiah xlv:l-5. 


LIGHT FROM THE MONUMENTS 


159 


Susa or Shushan was the scene of interesting 
and fascinating incidents related in the Old Tes- 
tament. Here Hehemiah was serving as cup- 
bearer to the Persian king, (Heh. i), when he felt 
called to the work of rebuilding the walls of the 
Holy City. It was here that the scene of the 
interesting narrative of the book of Esther was 
laid. Daniel refers to Susa in connection with one 
of his visions, (Dan. viii:2). From the results 
of excavations here, these Old Testament narratives 
can be accurately reconstructed. The construction 
of the palace is found to correspond in every im- 
portant respect to the description given in the book 
of Esther. The city is shown to have been one of 
importance among the Elamites as early as B. C. 
2280. Darius had his winter palace here. Many 
records of him have been found. To him we are 
indebted for the Behistun inscriptions which fur- 
nished the key to an understanding of all the cunei- 
form inscriptions of the East. Postal organiza- 
tions on all the military routes of the empire, and 
which are referred to in Esther in connection with 
sending dispatches to all the provinces, were es- 
tablished in his time. His successor was Xerxes 
I, who has been identified with King Ahasuerus. 
The author of the book has given a true picture 
of the social and political conditions of the time. 
The manners and customs reflected in the narra- 
tive are shown to be distinctively Persian. 


160 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


The Old Testament contains not a few references 
to the Hittites, although no direct records of them 
seem to have been preserved. Tor ages they were 
unknown, forgotten. But from sundry references 
to them in both Egyptian inscriptions and those of 
the far East, to say nothing of certain inscriptions 
and monuments of the Hittites themselves found 
here and there in Asia Minor, the existence of a 
great empire, together with its boundaries and the 
times when it flourished, have been virtually es- 
tablished. Eor nearly 1,000 years the Hittites 
formed a distinct nation. There are more than 
thirty references to them in the T el-el- Amarna tab- 
lets. Their supremacy in Asia Minor and north- 
ern Syria was contemporary with the reign of 
Rameses II of Egypt. The Hittites of Palestine 
were probably no more than a small settlement of 
the great empire to the northward. Their origin 
is unknown. There is reason to believe that they 
were a people of considerable civilization. Ho 
clue to the Hittite language has yet been discovered. 

III. 

Palestine and vicinity have as yet furnished 
comparatively little monumental literature, al- 
though the larger part of this field has been cov- 
ered by systematic and scientific research. Most 
of the inscriptions which have been found relate 
chiefly to linguistic questions. They would seem 



THE MOABITE STONE. 

The Moabite Stone, now in the Museum of the Louvre, Paris. It was found at Diban, in 
the land of Moab, in 1868, and is dedicated to Chemosh (the principal god of the land) by Mesha, 
king of Moab, whose victory over the Israelites in the time of Ahab (about 875 B.C.) it records, 
together with the capture of Ateroth, Nebo, and Jahaz, and the restoration of several cities. 
The stone is inscribed with 34 lines of inscription in the Phoenician character, and measures 
3 feet 10 inches high, 2 feet wide, and 14^ inches thick. The text has been completed from 
the paper “squeezes” taken before the original was broken, the restored places being the smoother 
portions of the surface. 













LIGHT FROM THE MONUMENTS 


161 


to show that the Phoenician script was in use in 
Israel during the period of the kings, and that the 
language of the Hebrew Scriptures is very similar 
to that spoken in the times of David and Isaiah. 

One of the most ancient styles of the Hebrew 
writing is found in the famous Moabite stone 
which was discovered east of the Jordan in 1868. 
It also supplements the Biblical record. The 
stone was set up by one of the Moabite kings 
named Mesha. He is referred to in II Kings 
iii:4. In the inscription on the stone, the Phoeni- 
cian system of writing is employed, but the vo- 
cabulary and grammatical forms are closely analo- 
gous to the Hebrew. It was found at Dibon 
(referred to in Isa. xv:2) by a German missionary. 
The stone is of bluish black basalt, two feet wide, 
nearly four feet high, fourteen inches thick, and 
rounded at both top and bottom. The inscription 
contains thirty-four lines. Before possession of 
the stone was gained, however, and owing to jeal- 
ousy and mistrust on the part of the Arabs, the 
latter built a fire under it, and when it was hot, 
poured water on it. This cracked it into frag- 
ments which they distributed among themselves, 
thinking them valuable as amulets and charms. 
Later, most of these pieces were recovered and the 
stone with its inscription was mostly restored. It 
is now in the Louvre at Paris. The inscription 
is a supplement to the records of the reigns of 


162 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


Omri, Ahab, Jehoram and Jehoshaphat. The 
stone was set up B. C. 850 to commemorate Mesha’s 
deliverance from the Israelites. The name of Je- 
hovah to whom Israel is said to have erected altars, 
is mentioned in the inscription. It shows methods 
of warfare and marks of civilization similar to 
those of Israel. [Further, it contains twenty-two 
Biblical proper names, thereby giving reality and 
vividness to numerous passages in Numbers, 
Joshua, Isaiah, and other books, and throwing light 
upon their interpretation. 

But the real key to the Holy Land is to he found 
in the ruins and remains which have been and are 
likely to be uncovered at Jerusalem. Numerous 
results have already been realized here. Shafts 
have been sunk through the accumulated rubbish 
of ages. Old wall lines, mosaic chambers, aque- 
ducts, pavements, and pottery of various periods, 
have been brought to light. One of the most im- 
portant of these discoveries has been the inscrip- 
tion found in the tunnel of Siloam. There is no 
proof of its date, hut the form of the letters seems to 
indicate that it cannot he much later than the age of 
the Moabite stone. The prevalent opinion of schol- 
ars is that the tunnel and inscription belong to the 
age of Hezekiah. (See II Kings xx:20.) 

The pool of Siloam is fed by a conduit which, 
for a distance of 1,700 feet, is cut through the 
solid rock. It takes its start from the so-called 


LIGHT FROM THE MONUMENTS 


163 


Virgin’s Spring which rose outside of the eastern 
wall of the city on the sloping cliff which over- 
looks the valley of the Kidron. This is the only 
spring of fresh water in the immediate neighbor- 
hood, and in time of siege it w r as important not 
only that the enemy should he deprived of it but 
that its waters should be made available for use 
within the city. Accordingly a long passage or 
tunnel was excavated by means of which the over- 
flow of the spring was brought into Jerusalem. 
The spring itself was covered with masonry so that 
it could be sealed up in case of war. That it 
actually was so sealed we know from a passage in 
II Chronicles, (ch. xxxii:3, 4). 

About sixteen feet from the tunnel’s mouth on 
the Siloam side, an inscription, discovered in 1880, 
was cut in the right-hand part of its rocky wall. 
The characters had become filled with deposits of 
lime from the fact of having been carved below the 
ordinary water-level in the subterranean passage. 
This rendered it difficult to distinguish them. This 
deposit, however, was removed by an acid, and the 
primitive tablet was revealed. It contained six 
lines, and was found to be a record in pure Biblical 
Hebrew of the construction of the conduit. The 
excavation was made by beginning work simul- 
taneously at the two ends, and in spite of its wind- 
ings the workmen almost succeeded in meeting in 
the middle. They approached so nearly, according 


164 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


to the inscription, that the noise made by one party 
in hewing the rock was heard by the other. The 
portion of rock between was accordingly pierced. 
There are two cuts de sac in the center which repre- 
sent the two extreme points reached by the two 
bands of excavators before they discovered that they 
were passing by each other. It is stated in the in- 
scription that when the cut was completed, the 
waters flowed from the spring to the pool. 

But this tunnel of Siloam is not the only one 
of the kind in the so-called hill of Ophel. Below 
this pool are traces of another into which the over- 
flow of water from the one above was conducted 
through a second tunnel. 

One of the chief results of the systematic and 
scientific research which has been carried forward 
for a number of years in Palestine, has been the 
identification of Scriptural sites. There are 622 
names of places mentioned in the Bible which have 
been supposed to be located west of the Jordan. 
Of these, 360 could not be identified. But the 
great survey of western Palestine, began in 1872 
and carried on for seven years, led to the discovery 
of 172 out of these 360 missing places. 

Tyr.e and Smoisr are prominent in the Old Tes- 
tament. No other people than the Phoenicians ex- 
erted so potent an influence on Israel. From pre- 
historic times they were pioneers and leaders in the 


LIGHT FROM THE MONUMENTS 


165 


maritime and land commerce of the world. Their 
products were largely cedar and stone. These they 
exchanged for cereals and other products of Israel. 
They were the chief artisans for the royal resi- 
dences and for the Temple at Jerusalem. The 
book of I Kings, (v:l7, 18), tells of hewed stones 
which were laid in the foundation of the Temple of 
Solomon with the cooperation of Hiram, king of 
Tyre. Eighty feet below the present surface of the 
earth at Jerusalem, masonry has been found where- 
on are marks which have been recognized as of Phoe- 
nician origin. In some parts of Phoenicia, walls of 
stone have been found which correspond to some of 
these massive walls in Jerusalem. 

But the most fatal result of the close relations 
of Phoenicia and Palestine was the introduction 
into the latter of Baal worship with its horrible 
and debasing rites. It may be, very likely will be, 
that when the many accumulated inscriptions of 
Phoenicia are fully deciphered, light will be more 
fully thrown upon the nature of their religious 
worship and in confirmation of the representa- 
tions of the Scriptures. The great numbers of 
images of Baal and Astarte which have been found 
in Cyprus, give evidence that their worship was 
connected with the most degrading rites. Indeed, 
wherever the Phoenicians went, they left the im- 
press of their national characteristics and espe- 
cially of their religion. 


166 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


In this survey of a large and interesting field, 
we have attempted only to touch upon some of the 
more salient points in Old Testament history. We 
have seen what contributions have been made to 
our knowledge of history through the unearthing of 
long-buried and long-forgotten ruins, and through 
the deciphering of strange hieroglyphic and cunei- 
form inscriptions cut in clay or stone millenniums 
ago. Especially have we seen how, in incidental 
ways, many important Biblical statements have 
been confirmed, how obscure Scripture passages 
have been made clear, and how other passages still, 
giving but meager record of events, have been sup- 
plemented by these records cut in stone. Some- 
times new difficulties have been created, but any 
apparent discrepancies in the two records, written 
and monumental, will doubtless continue to dis- 
appear as the inscriptions are more fully de- 
ciphered. There are few names of peoples now 
remaining in the Old Testament about which we 
have not received some new facts. 

Great progress is also being made in verifying 
the historical validity of the writings of the Hew 
Testament, particularly the book of Acts, by in- 
scriptions which have been found and deciphered 
in Asia Minor and elsewhere. The political con- 
dition and the names of the magistrates of those 
cities in Asia Minor, to which Luke refers in the 
narrative of the Acts, give evidence that he was per- 


LIGHT FROM THE MONUMENTS 


167 


sonally familiar with the facts which he reports. 
Terms are employed and conditions are described 
which were true in his time but which were not true 
a few years before, and which ceased to be true a 
few years later. 

It seems quite extraordinary, certainly a reason 
for thanksgiving on the part of the devout believer, 
that at this particular period when skeptical schol- 
arship has sought so strongly to cast suspicion and 
doubt upon the reliability of the Scriptural records, 
there should come forth from these forgotten lan- 
guages, from cuneiform and hieroglyphic inscrip- 
tions, from libraries of clay and stone, buried for 
thousands of years, these strange and minute con- 
firmations of the Biblical story. The moral and 
spiritual teachings of the Word of God, of course, 
have always carried their own evidence, but it 
helps greatly to increase our confidence in them 
even, when we find so much light thrown upon its 
narrative portions from these records of the monu- 
ments. Some one has suggested that hereafter 
when one is inclined to deny the authenticity of 
the Scriptures upon any important point, he may 
well be led to pause before carrying out his pur- 
pose, by the thought that at almost any moment 
some stone in the desert may cry out, or some rocky 
tomb speak with unexpected voice, and put him 
to confusion. 


CHAPTER VI 


NEW TESTAMENT BACKGROUND 

T HE state of things, political and religious, 
which existed in Palestine and the Roman 
world at the time of Christ and the apostles, needs 
to he apprehended in order to a full and clear un- 
derstanding of the Hew Testament itself. The 
facts pertaining to these conditions constitute the 
setting, or the background of the Hew Testament 
picture. From the nature of the case, a knowl- 
edge of them must throw much added light upon 
the significance of the picture itself. Without 
such knowledge, indeed, many things in the Hew 
Testament must remain vague, obscure, if not al- 
together meaningless. 

The object of this chapter is to present, in com- 
paratively brief compass, some of the most salient 
features of this background, an adequate under- 
standing of which, ordinarily, can be gained only 
by extensive reading and study. 

I. THE HISTORIC AE SITUATION. 

At the time of the introduction of Christianity, 
the Roman Empire had become so extended as to 
168 


NEW TESTAMENT BACKGROUND 


169 


embrace the entire civilized world as then known. 
Nation after nation had been brought under the 
Roman power, until its sway extended from the 
Atlantic on the west to the Euphrates on the east, 
and from the African desert on the south to the 
Danube River and to Scotland on the north. Its 
extent from east to west was 3,000 miles. It en- 
tirely surrounded the Mediterranean, which thus 
became a Roman sea. This fact also gave it a 
geographical unity. The population of the Em- 
pire at this time has been estimated at from eighty 
to one hundred and twenty millions. 

The policy of the Roman government toward the 
subjugated provinces was liberal and sagacious. 
Although the great system of Roman jurispru- 
dence, which was the principal legacy of Rome 
to subsequent ages, began to be introduced into 
them all, and justice was administered according 
to its provisions — a beneficent arrangement in 
itself — local laws and customs, as far as was prac- 
ticable, were left undisturbed. The tendency of 
such a policy was toward a gradual unification and 
assimilation of the heterogeneous elements of which 
the Empire was composed. Furthermore, and as 
leading to the same result, a network of magnifi- 
cently paved roads — remains of which, here and 
there, are still to be seen — was gradually cover- 
ing the vast territory subject to Rome. A number 
of lines went out from Rome to the extremities of 


170 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


the Empire, by means of which, and their various 
branches — which were connected with the routes 
of maritime travel — the most remote cities of the 
Empire were bound together and connected with the 
capital. By the same means, also, intercourse be- 
tween the various peoples was rendered easy and 
safe. Business, pleasure, official duties, the move- 
ment of troops, led to constant use of these roads. 
Travel in all directions was stimulated. As a 
natural result, the ideas of the people were broad- 
ened and made more tolerant. Paul, in his mis- 
sionary journeys, often traveled on these roads, as 
for example in Macedonia, when he moved south- 
westward from Philippi to Thessalonica and Berea 
(via Egnatia), and when, as a prisoner, he jour- 
neyed from Puteoli (via Appia) to Pome. 

Another fact of interest to be noted in the gen- 
eral situation at this time, was the wide prevalence 
of the Greek language. The conquests of Alexan- 
der three centuries before had introduced it into 
the East, where — at least in Asia Minor and 
Egypt — it gained a permanent foothold, and it 
had also become more or less a common medium 
of communication at the West. Thus the many 
different languages and dialects of the provinces 
formed no insuperable barrier to those who would 
move among them. This is well illustrated in the 
case of the apostles who, with their knowledge of 
Greek, could preach almost anywhere. 


NEW 'TESTAMENT BACKGROUND 


171 


The various religions of these different provinces 
were tolerated and treated with respect by the gov- 
ernment. The number of these religions was pro- 
ductive of skepticism. Everywhere the more in- 
telligent and thoughtful among the people had been 
influenced by Greek philosophy and were dissatis- 
fied, and old beliefs were crumbling. The old pa- 
ganism — except in country places — • was prac- 
tically dead. Furthermore, the morals of the peo- 
ple were at an extremely low ebb. According to 
Farrar, “ The epoch which witnessed the early 
growth of Christianity was an epoch of which the 
horror and the degradation have rarely been 
equaled, and perhaps never exceeded, in the annals 
of mankind.” * Religion and morality were di- 
vorced. The time was manifestly ripe for some- 
thing better, if there was anything better, to super- 
sede the effete religious systems which prevailed. 

The Jewish nation was one of the nations under 
the dominion of Rome at this time. Unlike many 
of these nations, its people preserved their customs 
and their varied peculiarities. They were faith- 
ful to the religious teachings and moral standards 
of their fathers, and bore uncomplainingly the bur- 
dens of their worship. Wherever Jews were 
found, this loyalty to their faith was manifested. 
Attached more or less closely to the Jewish con- 
* “ The early days of Christianity.” Ch. 1., P. 1. 


172 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


gregations, which existed in every considerable city 
of the Empire, were usually a number of Gentiles, 
or heathen, who, dissatisfied with their own re- 
ligion, had become interested in that of the Jews. 
Many of these Jews of the Dispersion — for so 
they were termed — made a practice of journeying 
to Jerusalem from time to time, to attend upon 
the great annual religious festivals which were 
held there. In this way thousands came together 
from all directions, as at Pentecost, traveling long 
distances often, and this contributed much toward 
maintaining a vital interest in their religion, and 
also toward keeping up their Jewish exclusive- 
ness. A Greek version of the Old Testament, pre- 
pared for the use of these scattered Jews, had been 
in circulation for many years. This translation, 
made during the third century before Christ at 
Alexandria, is commonly called the Septuagint. 

These facts, which describe the historical situa- 
tion at this time — both in the external conditions 
which prevailed in the Roman Empire, and in the 
widespread dissatisfaction of the people with pre- 
vailing religions and philosophies — rendered it 
a peculiarly favorable time for the introduction 
and dissemination of Christianity, a religion fitted 
and designed to be universal. Many hungered for 
something more vital, more satisfactory, than was 
to be found in any of the decaying religions of 


NEW TESTAMENT BACKGROUND 


173 


the time, even in the Jewish religion itself as then 
interpreted and illustrated. There was need of 
just such a religion as Christianity, and the con- 
ditions for its spread from Palestine, where it 
originated, were wholly favorable. The world 
was at peace, was under one government and one 
system of laws. The introduction of Christianity 
could hardly have been at a more opportune time 
or under more favorable conditions. To attribute 
this to mere chance is by no means an adequate 
explanation. It would seem as if Providence had 
prepared the way for it. This indeed has been 
the conviction of most Christian scholars. 

Even more notable, perhaps, than the world’s 
preparation for the advent of Christ and the dis- 
semination of Christianity, was the preparation for 
it in the Holy Land and among the Jewish people. 
The Mosaic ritual had served its purpose. It had 
impressed upon the people certain fundamental and 
necessary truths in regard to God and the moral 
law, and developed in them a sense of sin and guilt. 
But it was unable to provide the salvation from 
sin which the more spiritually-minded among them 
craved. The expectation, also, of a Coming One, 
long foreshadowed by the Jewish prophets, was 
widely prevalent. 


174 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


II. POLITICAL CONDITIONS IN PALESTINE. 

At the time of Christ’s advent, the Jewish na- 
tion was a dependency of Rome. For centuries 
its history had been a checkered one. For a con- 
siderable period it was entirely independent. 
Then Assyrian and Babylonian influences dominated 
it more or less. Egyptian influences were also 
brought to bear upon it. At the close of the Old 
Testament period, it was a province of Persia. In 
the year B. C. 333, it succumbed to Alexander the 
Great. From this time until B. C. 167, it was 
ruled alternately by his successors in Syria and 
Egypt. Then, under the Maccabees, it gained its 
independence, maintaining it under different 
dynasties and with varying success until B. C. 63, 
when it became a Roman province. 

And yet, Palestine was only indirectly under 
Roman rule. The policy of leaving the adminis- 
tration of local affairs largely to its subjugated peo- 
ple, prevailed. In B. C. 37, Herod I, sometimes 
called Herod the Great — an Idumsean by birth — 
became king, his reign continuing 33 years, or until 
B. C. 4. He was a man of ability and a great 
builder. Among other things, he rebuilt and 
decorated the Temple in order to conciliate the peo- 
ple, to whom his cruel disposition, his tyranny, 
and the acts of bloodshed for which he was re- 
sponsible, had rendered him odious. It was he 


NEW TESTAMENT BACKGROUND 


175 


who, when Christ was born at Bethlehem and was 
spoken of by the Magians from the East as the 
“ new-born King of the Jews,” issued an edict for 
the destruction of all the male children of the place 
of two years of age and under, hoping in this way 
to include him among them, (Matt. ii:l, 16). 
Herod’s death occurred not long after. 

By his will, which was practically though not 
entirely confirmed at Rome, Herod’s kingdom was 
divided among his three sons. The first of the 
three parts into which it was divided, was called 
the province of J udea, which included also 
Samaria on the north, and Idumaea on the south. 
This district was assigned to Archelaus, who had 
many of the qualities of his father, and who, after 
a few years, was deposed for his barbarity and 
cruelty. His territory was then made an imperial 
province, and was ruled by a Roman procurator 
or governor. Very little is known of these pro- 
curators until Pontius Pilate was appointed to that 
office by the Emperor Tiberias. He held the po- 
sition at the time of Christ’s public ministry, and 
— fearful of increasing his unpopularity if he did 
not do so — yielded to the insistent clamor of the 
Jews for his crucifixion, after he had been sen- 
tenced to death by the J ewish High Council, (Luke 
iii:l, xxiii:l-25; Matt. xxvii:ll-26; Mark xv:l- 
15, 43, 44; John xviii:29-40, xix:l-22, 31 38; 
Acts iv:27). Pilate’s character is well illustrated 


176 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


in this and various other recorded incidents of his 
official career. He was a worldling who was will- 
ing to act justly if this could be done consistently 
with his own selfish interests. He would gladly 
have released Jesus, whom he believed to be an 
innocent victim of Jewish malice, but to do so 
might have cost him his position, and he would run 
no risk. 

The second of the three parts of Herod’s king- 
dom, comprising Galilee and Perea — the latter to 
the southeast of the Sea of Galilee and east of the 
Jordan — was given to Antipas, another son. He 
is referred to in the Hew Testament as Herod An- 
tipas, or Herod the Tetrarch. His capital was 
Tiberias, which he himself built. He was the 
Herod under whose sway Jesus lived while in 
Galilee, and who executed John the Baptist, (Luke 
iii: 1; Matt. xiv:l-10; Mark vi;14-28; Luke 
iii:19, 20, ix:7-9). His unscrupulous character 
appears in his relations with Herodias, a brother’s 
wife, from whom she obtained a divorce, and for 
whom Antipas divorced his own wife. She was 
the prime mover in the murder of John the Baptist, 
and he was weak enough to consent to it. Be- 
cause of his cunning, he was described by our 
Lord as “that fox,” (Luke xiii:32). He was 
finally deposed and banished. 

Galilee was an exceedingly prosperous region, 
full of vineyards and gardens, villages and cities. 


NEW TESTAMENT BACKGROUND 177 

Its dense population was made np of both Gentiles 
and Jews, the latter no doubt predominating. 
Their life was freer and broader than that of their 
brethren in Judea. It was here that Christ’s 
childhood and youth were spent, and this was the 
scene of a greater part of His public ministry. 
Perea, in which He spent the last months of this 
ministry, was somewhat larger than Galilee, but 
was of little importance politically. 

The third portion into which the kingdom of 
Herod the Great was divided, comprised Iturea 
and Trachonitis, the district, speaking generally, 
to the north and east of the Sea of Galilee. It was 
assigned to Philip, who is referred to in Luke iii: 
1 as “ Philip the Tetrarch.” He reigned 37 years 
— from B. C. 4 to A. D. 33. His character was ex- 
cellent, and his rule, according to Josephus, mild 
and just. Among other things, he enlarged the 
town of Paneas, at one of the sources of the Jordan, 
and named it Caesarea. It was afterwards known 
as Caesarea Philippi (Matt. xvi:13, Mark viii:27), 
to distinguish it from Caesarea on the Mediter- 
ranean. Upon his death, his dominions were an- 
nexed to the province of Syria, but in A. D. 37, 
were assigned to Herod Agrippa I. In A. D. 39, 
the Emperor banished Herod the Tetrarch of Gali- 
lee, and added his tetrarchy to the kingdom of 
Agrippa. Later, Judea and Samaria were added 
to his dominions as a reward for service rendered 


178 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


to the Emperor Claudius, who was chosen after 
Caligula was assassinated. It was this Herod who 
slew James, the brother of John, with the sword, 
(Acts xii:l, 2), imprisoned Peter (verses 3-19), 
and at Caesarea, immediately after he had accepted 
divine honor, was miserably “ eaten of worms ” 
(verses 20-23). He died in A. D. 44, in the 54th 
year of his age, leaving four children, of whom 
three — Agrippa, Bernice, and Drusilla — are 
mentioned in Scripture, (Acts xxiv:24, xxv:13, 
xxvi:30). It was his son Agrippa — Herod 
Agrippa II — who went to Caesarea to salute Ees- 
tus, the successor of Eelix, as procurator of Judea, 
and it was before him, Eestus, and Bernice — the 
latter a sister of Agrippa — that Paul, then a pris- 
oner in Caesarea, was permitted to plead his cause, 
(Acts xxv:13-xxvi :32). 

A word should be said about the “ region of De- 
capolis ” which is occasionally referred to in the 
Hew Testament. It was a section of country be- 
ginning where the plain of Esdraelon opens into 
the Jordan valley and expands eastward beyond the 
river into Bashan. It bordered on the Sea of Gali- 
lee. It was dominated by ten confederated Greek 
cities. Such leagues existed in other parts of the 
Roman Empire for purposes of trade and of de- 
fense. The region had a Greek speaking popula- 
tion, mingled with natives, as early as the time of 
Herod the Great. Three roads connected the Es- 


NEW TESTAMENT BACKGROUND 


179 


draelon plain with the commercial highway which 
runs between Damascus and Arabia along the edge 
of the desert. The ten towns stood on these three 
roads and on the highway. Multitudes from De- 
capolis, we read, followed Jesus at an early period 
of His ministry, (Matt. iv:25). The Gadarene 
demoniac, after the evil spirit had been exorcised, 
published his deliverance in Decapolis, (Mark v: 
20). Jesus traveled through it on His way from 
Tyre and Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, approaching 
the lake from the eastern side, (Mark vii:31). 

The most important of these three separate ad- 
ministrative districts into which Herod I’s domin- 
ion had been divided, was the one first mentioned, 
the Province of Judea, It was composed of three 
parts, each historically distinct from the others. 
Judea proper had long been the seat of theocratic 
authority. In Jerusalem was the Temple, to which 
all pious Jews, from Home to Babylon, sent up their 
gifts, and whither they streamed from all quarters 
to attend upon the great annual festivals. Idu- 
mea, originally Edom, at the south of Judea, was 
another of these districts. It lay along the route 
pursued by the Israelites from the peninsula of 
Sinai to Kadesh-Barnea, and thence hack again to 
Elath at the head of the Gulf of Akabah, or the east- 
ern arm of the Red Sea. The third district was 
Samaria, north of Judea, between whose inhabit- 


180 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


ants and those of Judea, a long-time feud existed, 
and which still continued in the time of Christ, 
(John iv:9). The Samaritans were a mongrel peo- 
ple made up of Jewish and Gentile elements, espe- 
cially the decendants of the heathen colonists who 
were introduced by the Assyrians after the fall of 
the northern kingdom and the deportation of its 
leading inhabitants. Their religion was essentially 
the same as that of Israel in its earlier develop- 
ment. They accepted the Pentateuch, practiced the 
rite of circumcision, and had built a temple of their 
own on Mount Gerizim, (John iv:20). 

At the time of Christ’s ministry, the head of the 
Judean province — made up of these three districts 
— was the Roman procurator, Pontius Pilate. His 
official residence was Csesarea, the Roman capital 
of the province, which was located on the Mediter- 
ranean some forty-five miles northwest of Jerusa- 
lem, although he spent considerable time in the lat- 
ter city. The procurator, as agent of the Roman 
Emperor, was primarily a fiscal agent, looking after 
the collection of the Roman taxes. The direct 
taxes were collected by salaried officials. The cus- 
toms, or indirect taxes, made up of various du- 
ties on exports and imports, were “ farmed out ” 
to speculators who had bought the right to collect 
them. They were gathered by the representatives 
of these speculators, who were called “ publicans.” 
These publicans practiced all manner of extortions 


NEW TESTAMENT BACKGROUND 


181 


upon the people, and were cordially hated in con- 
sequence. They were commonly drawn from the 
more unscrupulous elements among the population. 
They were regarded by the Jews as traitors and 
apostates, the willing tools of their oppressors. 
Perhaps the frequent coupling of the terms “ pub- 
licans ” and “ sinners ” in the Gospels, rested on 
this fact, (Luke iii:12, v:29, xviii:10, xix:2, Matt. 
v:46, ix:10, xxi:31, 32, etc.). Matthew and Zac- 
cheus were originally publicans, (Matt. x:3, Luke 
xix:5, 8). Christ was scornfully spoken of as a 
“ friend of publicans and sinners,” (Matt. ix:ll). 

But in addition to his fiscal duties, the procura- 
tor had military and judicial functions as well. 
The garrison at Jerusalem consisted usually of a 
single Roman cohort, or of 500 or 600 men, who 
stood at his command. At the time of the principal 
feasts, the number was doubled. The other forces 
at the disposal of the procurator were probably re- 
cruited from the country itself — largely from 
among the Samaritans, which would not of course 
tend to the promotion of good-feeling among the 
Jews. The centurion of Capernaum, (Matt, viii: 
5), was an officer of the army of Herod Antipas. 
As a judge, the procurator had the power of life 
and death, appeal to the Emperor being granted 
only in the case of Roman citizens, as of Paul at 
Caesarea, (Acts xxv:ll, 12), and then only after 
formal protest had been made. The Jews were not 


182 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


allowed to sentence any one to death without the ap- 
proval of the Roman official at the head of the prov- 
ince, as when the Jews sought Pilate’s approval to 
their sentence of the death-penalty upon Christ, 
(John xviii :29— 31 ) . Religious liberty, however, 
was granted to the Jews, and the sanctity of the 
Temple was guaranteed. 

An important feature of the political conditions 
in Palestine at the time of Christ, pertained to the 
High Council of the Jews, or the Sanhedrin, and 
the parties composing it. It may he said to have 
been essentially the original town council, with 
changed powers and character. In addition to va- 
rious administrative functions, it had come to he 
the supreme court for the trial of all cases of im- 
portance — civil, criminal, and religious — under 
the Mosaic law. This body, through the two politi- 
cal parties which composed it, the Pharisees and 
Sadducees, exerted an important political as well as 
religious influence. It was composed of 71 mem- 
bers, who were men of pure Hebrew descent. They 
were not all of equal rank, members of the high 
priestly families being naturally more influential 
than the others. Other members were called 
scribes, or simply elders. The judgment of the 
Sanhedrin was final except in capital cases. 

At the head of the Jewish commonwealth, under 
the Romans, was the hereditary High Priest. He 


NEW TESTAMENT BACKGROUND 


183 


was the political head of the nation as well as the 
presiding officer of the Sanhedrin. Men who had 
held the office continued to occupy an important 
and influential position even after they retired from 
it. At the time of Christ’s trial we see what an 
influence the elder Annas exerted, even as a retired 
high priest. The majority of these priests were 
men of Sadducaic tendencies. 

There are various references in the New Testa- 
ment to this High Council or Sanhedrin. Jesus 
was tried before it, (Matt. xxvi:59, Mark xiv: 
55, xv :1, Luke xxii:66, John xi:47). It was be- 
fore this council that Peter, John, and the other 
apostles were brought, (Acts iv:5, 6, 15; v:21, 27, 
34, 41). Stephen was taken before it, (Acts vi: 
12), so also was Paul, (Acts xxii:30; xxiii:15; 
xxiv:20). The Sanhedrin was swept away at the 
destruction of Jerusalem. 

III. THE MOSAIC LAW AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. 

1. The Law . 

The Mosaic Law, as included comprehensively 
in the Pentateuch, with its moral requirements, 
varied rites, its elaborate ceremonials, its multiplied 
and minute details, was fundamental in Jewish 
thought and life. Not only did it regulate the re- 
ligious life and relations of the people, but civil 
affairs as well. Strict and literal obedience to it 


184 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


constituted the core of religion. Everything cen- 
tered in it, all the hopes of Israel gathered about 
it. God had given it to the descendants of Abra- 
ham at the hands of Moses, and had covenanted to 
bless them as a nation and as individuals on con- 
dition of loyal obedience to it. For centuries it was 
the molding influence of J ewish life. 

In the course of time a body of men arose whose 
business it was to copy and study the law, who also 
instructed the people in its requirements. These 
were the scribes, called sometimes in the Hew Tes- 
tament, “ teachers of the law,” or “ lawyers,” 
(Matt. xxii:35; Luke x:25, xi:45, 46; I Tim. i: 
7). The opinions or interpretations of the law 
by leading scribes were preserved, at length, along 
with the law itself, and finally came to be regarded 
as of corresponding authority. These decisions 
or opinions constituted the “ traditions,” or “ tra- 
dition of the elders,” (Matt. xv:2, 2, Mark vii:5, 
13, Col. ii:8). Then parties sprung up of those 
who were mainly divided over questions growing 
out of the law, of which the principal were the 
Pharisees and Sadducees, who have already been 
referred to. The former were zealously devoted to 
the law of Moses and to the traditions of the elders. 
The latter accepted the law of Moses, interpreting 
it literally, and rejecting all the “ traditions.” The 
Sadducees were generally educated, mostly wealthy 


NEW TESTAMENT BACKGROUND 


185 


and aristocratic, though comparatively few in num- 
ber. 

In Christ’s time the earnest spirit of earlier pe- 
riods had died out, and a zealous formalism or ex- 
temalism prevailed. The letter of the law was 
worshiped — its spirit had been lost, (Matt, xxiii: 
23-25, II Cor. iii :6). Yet the law had its mission 
in gradually preparing the minds of the people 
for a final and more spiritual and permanent re- 
ligion, whose germ it contained, of which its varied 
rites were typical, to which they looked forward, 
and which was to be revealed in the fullness of 
time. The law was called by Paul a “ schoolmas- 
ter ” or “ tutor” to lead men to Christ, (Gal. iii: 
25). 

We may notice more in detail some of the insti- 
tutions, orders of men, sacrifices, and various prac- 
tices of the Mosaic system as they prevailed in 
Christ’s time, and which are more or less promi- 
nently referred to in the Hew Testament. Herein 
is to be found a large element of the Hew Testament 
background, which it is essential to understand in 
order to have a clear grasp of the Hew Testament 
itself and its teachings. 

2. The Temple and its Courts . 

A large part of the law was made up of directions 
as to the rites and ceremonies which were to be ob- 


186 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


served, and sacrifices to be offered. A place for the 
performance of these rites was, according to the 
Jewish traditions, provided at first in the Taber- 
nacle, which was fashioned after a pattern shown 
to Moses in the mount, (Heb. viii:5). After the 
conquest, the tabernacle was for a long time set up 
at Shiloh. Later, in the time of Solomon, it gave 
place to a permanent structure — the Temple at 
Jerusalem. This Temple, destroyed at the time of 
the fall of Jerusalem and the exile of its leading 
inhabitants, was replaced after the Eeturn by one 
which was larger, but less gorgeous. Just before 
the time of Christ, Herod the Great rebuilt and 
repaired it in order to please the Jews. 

The Temple of Herod was much the same in form 
as the Tabernacle, but was of larger dimensions. 
It faced the east. It was surrounded by chambers 
and other apartments, which were more extensive 
than the Temple itself. Outside the Temple proper 
and its various apartments were spacious courts 
of different names. The outermost court was called 
the Court of the Gentiles. It was an open court — 
said by some to have covered 14 acres or more — 
was surrounded by a high wall, and entered by six 
gates. It completely surrounded the Temple and 
all the other courts. It might be entered by per- 
sons of all nations, but it was death to any one not 
a Jew to advance beyond this court, and notices to 
this effect written in Latin, Greek, and Hebrew, 


NEW TESTAMENT BACKGROUND 


187 


were made conspicuous. One of these inscriptions 
was discovered and published in 1871. Guards or 
keepers were stationed at the entrance of this next 
court within, to see that this regulation was strictly 
complied with. It was from this outer court that 
J ews drove the persons who had established a cattle 
market in it for the purpose of supplying those with 
sacrifices who came from a distance, (John ii:14, 
15). This court was surrounded by a “ Porch ” or 
covered walks. The one on the east or front side 
was called “ Solomon’s Porch,” (John x:23, Acts 
iii :11 ) . In going up to the Temple from the east 
or outer gate, it was necessary to cross this and all 
the other courts. 

The next court west was the Court of the Women > 
so-called because Jewish women, as well as Jewish 
men, could enter it. It was also called the Treas- 
ury, (Mark xii:41). The gate leading into this 
court was the “ Beautiful Gate of the Temple ” 
mentioned in Acts iii:2, 10. It was in this court 
that Jesus delivered His striking discourse to the 
Jews as found in J ohn viii :l-20. Here the Phari- 
see and the publican of the parable were supposed 
to have come up to pray, (Luke xviii :10-13), and 
hither the lame man followed Peter and John after 
he was healed, (Acts iii :8). It was in the same 
court that the Jews laid hold of Paul, supposing 
him to have violated the law by taking a Gentile 
into it, (Acts xxi:26-29). 


188 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


The Court of Israel was directly west of the Court 
of the Women. The ascent to this court — which 
was higher than that of the women because the 
rock on which the Temple stood rises in height as 
one advances westward — was by a flight of 15 
steps. Only the men of Israel were allowed in this 
court. Here they stood in solemn and reverent 
silence while their sacrifices were burning in the 
inner court, and while the services of the sanctuary 
were being performed, (Luke i:8— 11, 21, 22). 

The Court of the Priests came next, and was 
raised somewhat above that of Israel. Within this 
court stood the brazen altar on which sacrifices were 
consumed. This court was accessible to other Is- 
raelites than the priests only for certain special pur- 
poses connected with their sacrifices. 

From the Court of the Priests the ascent to the 
Temple was by a flight of 12 steps, which led into 
the sacred Vestibule , or Porch , which extended 
across the front of the structure. Then, within the 
Temple proper, which was by no means a large 
structure — only 90 x 60 feet — were the Holy 
and Most Holy Places, which were separated by 
an impervious veil, (Luke xxiii:45.) The Holy 
Place or sanctuary was 30 x 60 feet, and 45 feet 
high. Here were the golden altar of incense, a 
table for the shew-bread, and a golden candlestick. 
The Most Holy Place , or Holy of Holies, was a 
square room, 30 x 30 feet, into which the High 


NEW TESTAMENT BACKGROUND 


189 


Priest alone entered, and he only once a year, on the 
Great Day of Atonement. In the Most Holy Place 
of Solomon’s Temple, the sacred ark was placed. 

Connected with the Temple, in Roman times, 
at the northwest corner of the Temple Area, was the 
strong castle called the Tower of Antonia , with its 
various courts and fortifications. A Roman garri- 
son was stationed here. Its presence was especially 
important during the Jewish festivals, to prevent 
any excesses on the part of the populace. Paul, 
when rescued from the infuriated mob which had 
dragged him out of the Temple, was carried into 
this castle, and on the way thither was allowed to 
address the people from the stairs, (Acts xxi:30 
and fF). The castle was finally demolished by or- 
der of Titus A. D. 70. 

3. The Priesthood , Sacrifices, Feasts, etc. 

The Priesthood. The daily worship of the Tem- 
ple was conducted by the priesthood, a body of men 
specially set apart for that purpose. Each of its 
24 divisions officiated a week at a time, thus two 
weeks during the year. Zacharias, father of John 
the Baptist, belonged to the eighth course, called 
the course of Abijah, (Luke i:5). The levites 
were a subordinate class of officials, really assist- 
ants to the priests, who performed various minor 
duties, including the care of the Temple, and slay- 
ing and preparing the sacrifices. But only the 


190 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


priests were permitted to minister at the altar and 
within the sanctuary. The distinction between 
priests and levites is to be found in the fact that 
while the latter were made up in general of mem- 
bers of the tribe of Levi, the former were con- 
fined to a particular family of the tribe, that of 
Aaron. The High Priest was at the head of all re- 
ligious affairs. He alone had the privilege of en- 
tering the Most Holy Place, and that only once a 
year, on the Great Day of Atonement. The priest- 
hood of Christ is the substance and truth of which 
that of the Jews was but a shadow and figure. He 
as the everlasting priest, officiates in the heavens, 
(Heb. vii, ix: 11-26). 

Sacrifices. A sacrifice was an offering made to 
God on His altar by the hand of a lawful minister. 
It was properly the offering of a life, in this respect 
differing from an oblation, which was simply the 
offering of a gift. The offering of sacrifices was a 
custom which came down from the earliest time. 
The Mosaic law simply gave direction with refer- 
ence to a practice which was already in existence. 
In the Temple, sacrifices were offered in behalf of 
the people by officiating priests. Their main work 
was that of sacrifice and its attendant services. 
There were two classes of sacrifices, public and pri- 
vate. The former were offered in the name of the 
people, and were purchased with a portion of the 
people’s own gifts. The latter were those in which 


NEW TESTAMENT BACKGROUND 


191 


private individuals only were concerned. Private 
offerings of various kinds constituted the bulk of the 
sacrifices. A fire was kept continually burning on 
the altar, night and day. The one place appointed 
in the law for the offering of sacrifices by the Jews, 
was around the one altar of the only true God in the 
Temple. 

The Hebrews had three kinds of sacrifices: 1. 
The Burnt offering, in which the whole victim was 
consumed. It signified, on the part of the offerer, 
first an acknowledgment of his guilt in general, 
and second the entireness of his devotion of himself 
and his substance to God. On the part of the vic- 
tim, it signified complete expiation. 2. The Sin 
offering — of which the trespass offering may be re- 
garded as a variety — was expressive of reconcilia- 
tion or atonement. It differed from the burnt of- 
fering in that it always had respect to particular 
offenses against the law, either moral or ceremo- 
nial, committed in ignorance, at least not in a pre- 
sumptive spirit. 3. The Peace offering was offered 
in fulfilment of vows, to return thanks to God for 
benefits received (thank offering), or to satisfy pri- 
vate devotion (free will offering). It was offered 
whenever one chose, the only requirement being 
that the victim be without blemish. It signified 
reconcilement with God, and communion with Him 
and His people. The perpetual sacrifice of the 
Temple was a daily offering of two lambs on the al- 


192 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


tar of burnt offering, one in the morning, the other 
in the evening. 

Such were the sacrifices of the Hebrews. 
Though established by divine appointment, they 
were altogether incapable, in themselves, of purify- 
ing the soul or atoning for sin. They represented 
grace and purity, but did not communicate them. 
They were at best but typical, and foreshadowings 
of the true sacrifice, the Lamb of God, which would 
really take away the sins of the world. Accord- 
ingly, when Christ came and made an offering of 
Himself once for all, all other sacrifices were set 
aside, abolished, as no longer needed. For all who 
would believe in Him, this one great sacrifice super- 
seded all others, (Heb. ix:9-15; x:l; I Cor. v:7; 
Heb. x:3, 8-10; Eph. v:2; Heb. ix:ll-26). 

Feasts . The three great feasts of the year with 
the Jews were: 1. The Feast of the Passover, com- 
memorating the exodus from Egypt, and celebrated 
by eating a slain lamb with unleavened bread. It 
continued seven days, (Ex. xii; Mark xiv:12, 14; 
I Cor. v:7, etc.). The Savior partook of the Pass- 
over feast with His disciples on the evening preced- 
ing the crucifixion. At the close of it, the Lord’s 
Supper was instituted, to commemorate the suffer- 
ings and death of Christ in behalf of men, and for 
their deliverance from sin — henceforth to super- 
sede the Passover feast, (Matt, xxvi :17 ; Mark xiv : 
12; Luke xxii:7). The deliverance which the 


NEW TESTAMENT BACKGROUND 


193 


Passover commemorated, was a type of the great 
salvation or deliverance from sin achieved for men 
by Christ through His sacrifice. 2. The Feast of 
Pentecost marked the completion of the corn har- 
vest, and according to the later Jews, commemo- 
rated the giving of the law. It was celebrated by 
first fruits laid on the altar. It was at the time 
of this feast that the Spirit was poured out upon 
the disciples, (Acts ii:l-4) as predicted by Joel, 
(ch. ii :28 and ff ) ; and as more specifically an- 
nounced by Christ, (John xiv:16, 26, also xv:26). 
3. The Feast of Tabernacles commemorated the 
life in the wilderness. It was also the harvest home 
at the close of the year, and was an expression of 
thanksgiving for harvest, the people living in 
booths meanwhile. It continued an entire week. 
The sacrifices at this feast were far more numer- 
ous than at any other. There were various other 
and lesser festivals or days of rest and worship 
among the Jews to perpetuate the memory of im- 
portant events in Jewish history, but these three 
were the great feasts of the year. The Jews were 
wont to welcome guests with a feast, and to dis- 
miss them in the same way. The returning prodi- 
gal in the parable was thus welcomed, (Luke xv: 
23). Many joyful events were observed with 
feasts, as for example in John ii :1 — 10. 

Fasts. Fast days, also, were observed from time 
to time. Fasting had been practiced in all ages 


194 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


and nations, in time of sorrow and affliction, al- 
though no example of fasting is mentioned among 
the Jews before the time of Moses. After that it 
was quite common among them, the people in this 
way humbling themselves before God, confessing 
their sins, and deprecating His displeasure. Es- 
pecially were extended fasts appointed in times of 
public calamity. The Hay of Atonement was the 
only fast day prescribed by the law. So far as we 
know, our Lord did not initiate any particular fast. 
On one occasion He intimated that the disciples 
would fast after His death, (Luke v:34, 35). He 
recognized the custom, and the apostles practiced it 
as occasion seemed to require, (Matt. vi:16-18; 
Acts xiii:3; I Cor. vii:5, etc.). 

Clean and Unclean . One feature of the Mosaic 
law upon which great stress was laid by the scribes, 
was with reference to ceremonial defilement. It 
was contracted in various ways, voluntary and in- 
voluntary. In some cases it resulted from eating 
certain foods, in others by contact with men. Pro- 
hibition of certain kinds of food, for instance, based 
on Heut. xiv:3-20, was scrupulously enforced. 
The scribes prided themselves upon its strict ob- 
servance. In ordinary cases, such defilement was 
removed on the evening of the same day by bathing. 
In other cases, a week, or even 40 or 50 days, with 
some sacrificial offerings, were required. The reg- 
ulations on this general subject of ceremonial clean- 


NEW TESTAMENT BACKGROUND 


195 


ness and uncleanness were carried to most absurd 
extremes. 

The Sabbath. Before the resurrection of Jesus, 
it was observed on the seventh day of the week. 
After that, “ the Lord’s day ” — our Sunday — was 
held in the same honor by Christians, and the ob- 
servance of the seventh day was gradually discon- 
tinued by them, (Acts xx:7, I. Cor. xvi:2, Col. ii: 
10, 17, Rev. i:10). 

IV. RELIGIOUS LIFE AND HOPES. 

The religious life and hopes of the Jewish people 
at the time of Christ gathered about the Mosaic 
Law in its broadest sense, including the “ tradi- 
tions of the elders.” The law regulated the entire 
life of the people, moral, social, religious. Its scru- 
pulous observance was the supreme duty of every 
loyal Israelite. The decisions, or precedents, or 
“ traditions ” of the scribes, pertained to every 
imaginable phase of daily life. They were elab- 
orated to an extent hardly to be conceived by us, 
and were frequently of a most fanciful character. 
To carry them out was next to impossible, while 
to the conscientious, the sense of obligation to do 
so constituted an unbearable burden. 

The religious life of the people had become 
largely externalized. Religion had been made to 
consist primarily in a strict and literal observance 
to the manifold requirements of the Law, with its 


196 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


additions. Formal accuracy in fulfilling the letter 
of these requirements was sufficient. There was lit- 
tle concern, as a rule, about the spirit of them. So 
the religious life became, for the most part, super- 
ficial, concerned chiefly with the Sabbath, with the 
various ablutions which were regarded as needful 
for the maintenance of ceremonial purity, with the 
distinction between ceremonially clean and unclean 
food, with the times and ways of fasting, and with 
the wearing of fringes or phylacteries on their gar- 
ments. By this excessive attention to the letter, the 
inner spirit of the law was largely missed. But 
although the majority, probably, of the people, 
stood with the scribes and Pharisees in this ex- 
ternal view of the law, there seems reason to believe 
that there were not a few who took a more spiritual 
view of religious obligations. It was among these 
that the real preparation for Christ’s advent was 
to be found — “ persons like the aged Simeon and 
Anna, who waited for the consolation of Israel, 
(Luke ii :25— 38), untroubled by and perhaps in- 
different to the mass of rabbinical laws.” 

A few concrete examples will make manifest how 
far this mistaken zeal for the law on the part of its 
more extreme though influential defenders — for 
not all by any means were thus rigid and strict — 
tended to lead the people astray from true right- 
eousness, and how heavy the burden it imposed. 


NEW TESTAMENT BACKGROUND 


197 


Sabbath Observance. One of the duties which 
was insisted upon with great stress, was Sabbath ob- 
servance. The original prohibition of work on that 
day specified but few things. But the scribes, with 
great ingenuity, had developed these prohibitions 
into 39 subdivisions, by which a large number of 
things in particular were forbidden. Some of these 
were plowing, sowing, reaping, binding sheaves, 
kneading, baking, making or putting out a fire. 
Many of them were senseless in the extreme. Then 
each of these subdivisions was still further defined, 
that there might be no mistake as to their meaning. 
To gather a few ears of corn, for instance, on the 
Sabbath, was regarded by the scribes as reaping, 
hence was proscribed. The disciples were criti- 
cized for this very thing, (Matt, xii :1, 2, Mark ii : 
23, 24, Luke vi:7). 

It was forbidden under the Mosaic law to carry 
a burden on the Sabbath from one tenement to an- 
other. Thereupon the scribes undertook to deter- 
mine the exact hulk of what might he carried, and 
he was guilty of Sabbath desecration who carried 
out so much food as was equal in weight to a dry 
fig, or milk enough to swallow, or ink enough with 
which to write two letters, or reed enough with 
which to make a pen ! 

But these scrupulous guardians of the law went 
even farther. Hot only did they declare what was 
forbidden on the Sabbath itself, which began on 


198 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


Friday evening — these prohibitions were extended 
to every transaction which might possibly lead to 
a desecration of the day. A tailor, for instance, 
was not to go out at twilight on that evening with 
his needles, lest he might forget just the hour when 
the Sabbath — our Saturday began. Similar pro- 
hibitions and regulations were to he observed with 
reference to a score of other things equally infini- 
tesimal and absurd. No risk must be run of any 
unpermissible work being done during the sacred 
hours of the holy day. 

Yet some exceptions were permitted for the sake 
of humanity, or on account of some higher and 
more sacred command. All transactions necessary 
for the offering of sacrifices which the Temple ritual 
required, were allowed (Matt. xii:5), but, with a 
few exceptions of this kind, these Sabbath prohibi- 
tions were strictly insisted upon for those who would 
be truly religious. This accounts for the hostility 
of the Pharisees against Jesus because He healed 
on the Sabbath, (Matt. xii:9-13, Mark iii :1— 5, 
Luke vi:6-10, xiii:10-l7, 14:1-6, John v:l-10, 
ix:14-16). 

Ceremonial Defilement and its Removal. Even 
deeper than the law of the Sabbath was the in- 
fluence on the daily life of the manifold and far- 
reaching ordinances concerning ceremonial clean- 
ness and uncleanness. Not less than 12 treatises 
of the time dealt with the subject. With each of 


NEW TESTAMENT BACKGROUND 


199 


the chief kinds of uncleanness the inquiry was 
raised and determined as to the circumstances under 
which the uncleanness was incurred, in what manner 
and to what extent it was transferred to others, 
what interests and objects were and were not capa- 
ble of contracting uncleanness, and what means and 
regulations were required for its removal. A main 
question first of all was concerning the material of 
which the cooking utensils were composed, and 
next concerning the form, whether hollow or flat. 
In the case of hollow, earthen vessels, the air in 
them contracted and propagated ceremonial un- 
cleanness, but not their outside. Purification of 
these vessels could result only from their being 
broken. But as a fraction only was still esteemed a 
vessel, and was capable of imparting defilement if 
it held only enough to anoint a little toe with, it 
is plain to see how thorough the breaking must be 
in order to effect its purification. Of wooden, 
leather, bone, and glass vessels, the flat ones were 
susceptible of defilement. The deep ones contracted 
defilement in their atmosphere. If they broke, they 
were clean. 

As to the removal of defilement, the main ques- 
tion was as to what water was adapted to the differ- 
ent kinds of purifications — to the sprinkling of the 
hands, the washing of utensils, the bath of purifica- 
tion for persons. Several grades of water reser- 
voirs were distinguished, — a pond, spring water, 


200 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


collected water, running water. Directions con- 
cerning the washing and correct pouring on the 
hands were extremely minute. The question was 
also discussed as to the vessels from which such 
pouring should take place, who should do it, and 
how far the hands must he poured upon. Repeated 
allusions in the Gospels show with what zeal all 
these enactments were observed in the time of 
Christ, (Matt. xv:2, xxiii:25, 26, Mark vii:2-5, 
Luke xi:38, 39). 

External Correctness of Action. The greatest 
importance was attached to this. Three mementos 
by which every Israelite was to be reminded of his 
duties toward God were in use. One of these con- 
sisted of tassels or fringes of a prescribed char- 
acter, which were worn at the four corners of the 
upper garment, “ that ye may look upon them and 
remember all the commandments of Jehovah to do 
them,” (ISTum. xv:37). Another was an oblong 
box fixed to house and room doors above the right 
hand or post, on which was written, according to 
directions in Deut. vi:9, in 27 lines, the two para- 
graphs, Deut. vi:4-9, and xi:13-21. Then there 
were the phylacteries, from a Greek word meaning 
amulet or charm, which were supposed to possess 
the property of protecting the w T earer against evil 
spirits and similar malign influences. This term 
was then, and by the Jews is still given to two small 
cases of leather, containing small rolls of parch- 


NEW TESTAMENT BACKGROUND 201 

ment, on which were written certain Old Testament 
passages (as Ex. xiii:l-10, xi:ll-16, Deut. vi:4-9, 
xi:13-21), which were worn, one upon the forehead 
and the other upon the left arm. Our Lord, in His 
great anti-Pharisaic discourse, (Matt, xxiii), 
charges the scribes and Pharisees with ostentation 
in their religious duties, “ for they make broad 
their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders (fringes) 
of their garments, and love the chief places at 
feasts.” 

Prayer and Fasting. Even in these many rules 
had to be observed. A certain prayer was to be re- 
cited twice a day in addition to the usual daily 
prayer, which was to be said morning, noon, and 
evening. The time of the prayer was exactly de- 
fined, and various regulations pertaining to the 
prayers themselves and the manner of offering them, 
were prescribed. It was a good custom which re- 
quired the offering of thanksgiving in connection 
with partaking of food and drink. But here, also, 
regulations were made down to the pettiest details 
— pointing out the particular form to be used for 
the fruits of trees, what for wine, for the fruits of 
the ground, for bread, vegetables, vinegar, for un- 
ripe fallen fruit, for milk, cheese, eggs. Scholars 
contended as to when this and when that form was 
suitable. In such circumstances it is not strange 
that prayer was degraded into a mere external, me- 
chanical performance, without significance, save 


202 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


that of fulfilling a supposed duty. The service of 
prayer was even sunk so low as to become a mani- 
festation of vanity and the cloak of inward impu- 
rity, (Matt. vi:15, xvii:7, Mark vii:6, xii:40, Luke 
xx:47). Vital piety was largely lost sight of, and 
of course there could be no real freedom of action. 

The Pharisees were much given to fasting, and 
laid great stress on its value, but Christ declared 
that their fasting was of no avail if their hearts 
were not right, (Matt. ix:14, Mark ii:18, Luke v: 
33). Generally they did their fasting in a most 
public manner, “ to be seen of men,” thus to make 
a show of pious zeal religiously, which of course 
subjected them to most scathing rebukes on the 
part of Christ, (Matt. xxiii:5 and fi). 

These facts, selected from many, will give some 
idea of the state of things religiously — the life- 
less ceremonialism, the frivolous, meaningless re- 
quirements of the Law as then interpreted — which 
prevailed among many of the more punctilious yet 
influential elements of the people at the time of 
Christ. It tended to paralyze the religious life 
and to smother inward piety. It laid burdens upon 
the people which it was simply impossible for them 
to bear, (Matt. xxiii:4, Luke xi:46). But as a 
result of it, many were led to long for some way 
of deliverance, or at least were prepared to appre- 
ciate the glad tidings which Christ announced, 


NEW TESTAMENT BACKGROUND 


203 


which did away with these exacting requirements, 
and made the great inner and comprehensive prin- 
ciple or law of love — love to God and love to man 
— the one supreme law for every one. 

Jesus, of course, had no sympathy with these 
extreme views and practices, and more than once 
told the scribes and Pharisees that by their end- 
less and fanciful interpretations and applications 
of the law, they were destroying its real purpose. 
As a matter of fact, their “ traditions ” were no 
part of the law proper, and had no binding force. 

Christ's Teachings. Not only did Christ criti- 
cize and condemn these extra and exacting require- 
ments, He set forth also the positive truth on many 
of these subjects. In this way He brought out and 
illustrated the real spirit of the religion which He 
sought to promulgate. In regard to the many 
costly sacrifices and offerings which prevailed in 
connection with the Temple worship, Jesus saw no 
special value in them. The most acceptable offer- 
ings which could be made were inward, the sacri- 
fices of a broken and a contrite heart, as had long 
before been declared, (Ps. li:17). To Christ, the 
Temple was a house of prayer, rather than a place 
for the slaughter of beasts, (Matt. xxi:13, Mark 
xi:l7). He felt so outraged by the traffic which 
was carried on there, that He called it a “ house of 
merchandise and a den of thieves,” (John ii:16). 

In the matter of eating and the prohibition of 


204 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


certain kinds of food as unclean — on the strict 
observance of which the Jews prided themselves — 
they must have been greatly shocked at Christ’s say- 
ing that a man was not defiled by that which en- 
tered into his mouth, but rather by what came out 
of it — not by what he ate, but by what he said 
and did, (Matt. xv:10-20). As to their strict 
Sabbath observance, He must have greatly disturbed 
their conceit and offended many by declaring that 
the law expressly provided for acts of mercy, even 
on that day, (Luke xiii:15) ; that even the regula- 
tions of the sanctuary might he set aside in case of 
necessity, (Mark ii:25,26); that the Sabbath was 
made for man, to be a servant to help him to rest, 
rather than that man was made for the Sabbath, 
the Sabbath to be his exacting master (Mark ii : 
27); and finally, that He, Christ, was Himself 
greater than the Sabbath, and was not to be hound 
by mere rules in regard to it, (Matt. xii:8, Luke 
vi :5). 

The possibility of evading filial obligations 
through some technicality of scribal origin, was se- 
verely condemned. The duty to care for depend- 
ent parents was clear, the dictates of the com- 
monest gratitude and justice, and yet by the process 
of dedicating one’s possessions to God — pronounc- 
ing the word “ Corban ” (meaning dedication) 
over them — they might still keep their possessions. 
This, declared Jesus, set at naught the plain com- 


NEW TESTAMENT BACKGROUND 


205 


mandment of God to honor one’s parents, (Matt. 
xv:l-9, Mark vii:9-13). 

So in regard to the binding character of certain 
forms of oaths — their practice in regard to this 
was denounced in the severest terms. If a man 
swore by the Temple, for instance, he was not 
obliged to keep his oath, but if by the gold of its 
adornment, he was bound by it. The oath had no 
value if one swore by the altar, but it was sacred if 
taken upon the offering. Such was the casuistry 
by which the scribes settled questions. Christ de- 
clared that the only safe way was to discard the use 
of oaths altogether, (Matt. v:33-37). 

In truth, every act was judged by Christ by the 
motive which prompted it. Only in this way could 
its moral quality be determined. Anything 
prompted merely by a desire for the praises of men, 
was of no value whatever in God’s sight. This was 
true whether one prayed in public in order to be 
seen of men and to receive credit for his piety, or 
give alms or feasted. There was no merit what- 
ever in conduct prompted by such motives. A tree 
could be known only by its fruits, (Mark vii:15), 
and Judaism as it then existed, judged by this 
standard, was worthless. The time for its over- 
throw had come. Already the axe of destruction 
was laid at its roots, (Matt. iii:10, Luke xx:31). 
So much was made of non-essentials of conduct, 
that the greater and graver things pertaining to it 


206 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


were frequently entirely ignored, (Matt. xxiii:23, 
24). Christ went so far in His condemnation of 
those who were responsible for this state of things, 
or for continuing it, as to accuse them of making 
clean the outside of the cup and platter, and of be- 
ing entirely neglectful of that which is within. 
They were like whited sepulchers — outwardly 
beautiful, but within full of dead men’s bones and 
all uncleanness, (Matt. xxiii:27, 28; Luke i:44). 

It is not strange that Jesus should have brought 
Himself into disfavor by such strictures upon the 
practices of the times, and such attacks upon the 
current “ traditions,” hut there seemed to be no 
other way. The situation was certainly one which 
called urgently for a new order of things and a 
more spiritual religion, and this Christ gave to men 
in His gospel, whose spirit and whose principles 
were more and more seen, as they were apprehended, 
to go to the foundation of things and to revolution- 
ize them. 

Messianic Expectations. A peculiarity of Jew- 
ish thought and life was the confident expectation 
of a better future. The Old Testament religion 
was prophetic in its very nature. The golden age, 
to the Jewish people, was in the future. Formed 
under the influence of their fundamental beliefs and 
their experiences — especially their misfortunes — 
this expectation became so rooted and grounded in 


NEW TESTAMENT BACKGROUND 


207 


their consciousness that not even in their darkest 
hours did it suffer eclipse. The nation was to he 
purified from all bad elements, to be ruled in right- 
eousness, its enemies to be destroyed or forced to 
acknowledge its sway, and a state of unclouded pros- 
perity to dawn. Ultimately it was to become a 
universal empire, God Himself supreme in it, al- 
though immediately governed by an ideal king in 
direct descent from David, who should be God’s 
true representative on earth. Through this king 
all God’s promises would be made real to His peo- 
ple. 

This picture of the Messianic era and the Mes- 
sianic king, underwent various alterations in the 
thought of the people during different periods. In 
the time of Christ numerous features had become 
incorporated in it for which there was no adequate 
Scriptural warrant, and different views of it were 
entertained by different groups of men. It is diffi- 
cult accurately to reproduce this expectation in all 
its variations and details as it then existed, yet all 
agreed that the coming kingdom was to be made up 
of Jews and their proselytes. 

A prominent thought with many, perhaps most, 
in Christ’s time, was that with the coming of the 
Messiah, there was to be deliverance from the yoke 
of bondage to the Roman power under which the 
nation was then groaning. Their conception was 
thus of a political rather than a spiritual Messiah. 


208 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


Furthermore, He was to establish His kingdom in 
a time of general stress and calamity: nature her- 
self was to bear witness to it : there would be many 
miraculous manifestations. Again, Jerusalem 
would be renovated as the seat of the new kingdom. 
The Jews of the Dispersion would return, the right- 
eous dead would be raised, and a time of peace and 
plenty, of joy and holiness, would be ushered in. 
Then “ this age ” would end, and the “ age to come ” 
would begin. 

There is no trace of any expectation of a suffering 
Messiah. The Old Testament passages bearing 
upon this, seem strangely to have been dropped out 
of mind. This suffering aspect of the life and char- 
acter of the expected One — so at variance with 
the common thought — was one of the chief stum- 
bling blocks to many of the Jews to the acceptance 
of Jesus as the Messiah for whom they were look- 
ing. The popular thought, indeed, in regard to the 
Messiah — save in the case of the Sadducees, who 
appear not to have shared in the Messianic hopes 
of the people — seemed to fasten upon such poetic 
imagery of the Old Testament concerning Him, 
as fell in with their spirit and temper at the time. 
These representations were construed as a literal 
description of Him and His characteristics. Every- 
thing not in harmony with such views was passed 
by. Even those who longed for a spiritual deliv- 


NEW TESTAMENT BACKGROUND 


209 


erer from the power of sin, could not divest them- 
selves entirely of the idea that the Messiah was lit- 
erally to sit on the throne of David. John the 
Baptist even, as he languished in prison, seemed to 
be perplexed by the fact that Jesus took a course 
so entirely at variance with the popular expectation, 
which manifestly he himself in a measure shared. 
It was this, no doubt,, which led him to send his 
disciples to inquire specially of Jesus as to whether 
He was really the one to come, or whether they 
should look for someone else, (Matt, xi :3, Luke xvii : 
19, 20). 

With such Messianic ideas prevailing, many of 
which were far wide of the mark, we can readily 
understand how difficult a task it must have been to 
disabuse people’s minds of them, to stem the current 
of popular expectation, and to make prominent the 
idea of a purely spiritual kingdom. The great 
temptation, indeed, to which Jesus was subjected 
in the wilderness at the outset of His public min- 
istry, was to yield to the material conceptions of 
the time. To have done this would have been ut- 
terly to fail in His high mission. Accordingly, in- 
stead of appealing to national pride and organizing 
a state, Christ sought to found a kingdom which 
should be purely spiritual in its character, with 
God supreme, and its membership made up of 
those who, as loyal children, should seek to do the 


210 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


will of their heavenly Father, and he brethren to 
one another. It was this spiritual quality of His 
work and of the kingdom which He was proclaim- 
ing, which so scandalized the Jewish people. They 
were not looking for that kind of a Messiah or that 
kind of a kingdom. Yet the glad tidings which 
Christ announced of release from the exacting and 
burdensome enactments which were oppressing the 
people, was a welcome announcement to not a few, 
and it was the heralding of this same good news 
to men, and their reception into the kingdom on 
the simple condition of repentance from sin and of 
faith in Himself, which was to constitute the main 
work of the apostolic company and their successors. 

When, after the resurrection and Pentecost, the 
disciples turned again to the Scriptures and read 
them in the light of these events and under the 
quickening of the Spirit, they saw, as they did not 
see before, how perfectly the Messianic ideal which 
was therein set forth had been fulfilled in the person 
and experience of their Lord and Master; that the 
Messiah, as He had Himself said, was to pass 
through suffering and death to His triumph; that 
stress was laid upon spiritual rather than material 
blessings; that He was to be the heavenly king of 
a spiritual rather than an earthly kingdom, and that 
in the final judgment of the world, He was to be the 
Judge. 


NEW TESTAMENT BACKGROUND 


211 


V. APOSTOLIC TIMES. 

In apostolic times the field widens from the nar- 
row confines of Palestine and its immediate vicinity 
to the Roman Empire. It was the last command 
of Christ to His disciples that they should go forth 
after His departure — first tarrying in Jerusalem 
for the crowning preparation by an enduement of 
spiritual power — and declare the gospel through- 
out the world. In the Book of Acts we have a 
fragmentary record of the effort made to carry out 
this command. We see how the movement, con- 
fined at first and for a considerable period mainly to 
Jerusalem and Palestine, broadened out at length 
— increasing in momentum and power — until 
Christianity had gained a strong foothold in the 
leading cities of the Empire. We learn also how, 
after a severe and protracted struggle, Christianity 
succeeded in extricating itself from Judaism, with 
which, at first, it had been mistakenly identified, 
and by which it would have been merely a local re- 
ligion. It finally emerged into the clear light of 
the one distinct, universal, and final religion for 
all mankind. Paul was its champion, and this free- 
dom from its Judaic yoke may be regarded as his 
legacy to all succeeding generations. The epistles 
set forth more fully the spirit and principles of 
Christianity, and their application to many prac- 
tical questions which from time to time arose. 


212 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


Although after the times of Christ there were 
changes of administration and of the boundaries 
of some of the provinces, the political conditions 
remained much as they had been. Pilate, a few 
years after Christ’s crucifixion, was deposed, owing 
to charges which compelled him to go to Rome for 
trial, and Marcellus was made procurator in his 
stead. Herod Agrippa I, grandson of Herod I, was 
appointed from Rome over what had been the 
tetrarchy of Philip, and later, all those parts of 
Judea and Samaria which had formerly belonged 
to his grandfather, were assigned to him. Under 
him a new impulse was given to Judaism, he him- 
self observing its customs and ceremonies. He also 
attacked Christianity, killing James and arresting 
Peter, to please the Jews. He was fond of the 
amusements of the Graeco-Roman world, and it was 
while engaged in games of this character at Caesarea 
that he was stricken down by a mysterious and fatal 
disease, (Acts xii:19-23). 

Herod II, son of Herod Agrippa I, was later ap- 
pointed over the tetrarchy of Philip, to which por- 
tions of Galilee and Perea were added by Nero. 
It was before him that Paul was brought by Pestus, 
(Acts xxv :14). He was a much weaker man than 
his father. His long reign, (A. D. 50 to A. D. 
100), resulted in nothing in particular. He suc- 
ceeded in winning considerable favor among the 
rabbis, (Acts xxvi:l-3, 27). Felix was procura- 


NEW TESTAMENT BACKGROUND 


213 


tor when Paul was brought down from Jerusalem, 
a prisoner, to Caesarea. He was neither a strong 
governor nor a good man. Porcius Festus, a man 
of good intentions, succeeded him, but he died soon 
after his appointment. Both Felix and Festus are 
of special interest from the fact that Paul, while 
a prisoner at Csesarea, was brought before them on 
charges preferred by the authorities at Jerusalem, 
(Acts xxiv:l, 2, and xxv:7) — an outcome of the 
mob violence which hurst upon him in the Temple 
courts and his rescue by the Roman garrison, (Acts 
xxii:24). Neither Felix nor Festus could find any 
ground, beyond that of the general hostility of the 
Jews, for keeping him in prison. When another 
trial was proposed, Paul appealed to Caesar, (Acts 
xxv :11). This necessitated his being sent to Rome. 
Save in the case of Paul, the Christians do not seem 
to have particularly attracted the attention of the 
procurator. 

The new faith received its first missionary im- 
pulse at Pentecost. Many Jews from different 
parts of the world were at that time present in 
Jerusalem, (Acts ii:5). Under the influence of 
Peter’s sermon, a large number were converted, 
(Acts ii:41). When these returned to their 
homes, they naturally became propagators of the 
new faith. Their work helped to prepare the way 
for the labors of the apostles. 

For a considerable time after Pentecost, the 


214: 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


apostles remained in Jerusalem, laboring con- 
stantly. When at length, as growing out of the 
death of Stephen, the first Christian martyr, (Acts 
viii:l), persecution arose there against the Chris- 
tians, many of them were scattered abroad. These 
declared the glad tidings wherever they went, and 
thus the work extended throughout Judea and be- 
yond. After Saul, the arch persecutor — who was 
afterward called Paul — was converted, (Acts 
ix:l-18), he preached for a time in Damascus, 
(verses 19, 20), then retired to Arabia for a season, 
(Gal. i:l7). After this he visited Jerusalem, 
and shortly after went to his native Tarsus, (Acts 
ix:30), where he remained for several years, en- 
gaged, no doubt, in evangelistic work in the city 
and vicinity. Here he was sought out at length 
— “ discovered ” — by Barnabas, who had been sent 
from Jerusalem to take charge of the rapidly de- 
veloping work at Antioch, (Acts xi:23), and was 
persuaded to return with him. Here in Antioch 
they labored together for more than a year with 
marked success, (verses 25, 26). Then a mission- 
ary impulse seemed to come upon the church, and 
Paul and Barnabas were sent forth on a mission to 
the Gentiles, (ch. xiii:2, 3). 

Thus began a movement systematically to propa- 
gate Christianity in other lands, the facilities for 
such effort being peculiarly favorable by reason of 
the wide prevalence of the Greek tongue, and the 


NEW TESTAMENT BACKGROUND 


215 


existence of Roman roads by which many of the 
most important centers were connected. In suc- 
cession the gospel was preached and churches 
founded in Asia Minor, Macedonia, Greece. Al- 
though no record has been preserved, no doubt the 
apostolic company at the same time scattered in 
other directions, east and west, so that the last 
command of Christ was literally carried out The 
large cities, as strategic points, were seized upon 
by Paul, and some of them became centers of ex- 
tensive missionary operations. Some of these cen- 
ters, in addition to Jerusalem and Antioch, were 
Ephesus, Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea, Athens, 
Corinth, Rome. The apostolic period was one of 
great activity and of wide-spread evangelism. 

But the apostolic age did not close with the 
labors of Paul, although we have little further ac- 
count of the progress of the movement. The min- 
istry of John continued many years after Paul’s 
death. His Gospel, written at Ephesus, where he 
seems to have taken up his residence, and which 
was then the center of eastern Christianity, wielded 
great influence. The author was confronted by 
certain speculative heresies concerning the person 
of Christ, and in this Gospel the avowed purpose 
is to prove that Christ is divine and the Son of 
God, (John xx:30, 31). 

With the Johannine literature, which marks the 
highest development and claim of the new religion, 
the apostolic age closes. 


CHAPTER VII 


VISITING THE LANDS OF THE BIBLE 

T HE literature of the Holy Land and of all 
that pertains to it is now so extensive and 
so easily available that one may, without difficulty, 
inform himself thoroughly in regard to that in- 
teresting region. One may utilize the results of 
others’ travels, study, and experience, in his efforts 
to render the Bible a real hook to himself, and to 
awaken interest in its reading and study. It is 
not necessary to visit Bible lands in order to un- 
derstand the Bible. Some of the best scholars 
and commentators have never done so. 

Yet much as one may gain from reading and 
studying about the countries of the Bible, there is 
a vast increase of interest in the sacred Word and 
in the facts which it contains, when one comes one’s 
self to visit the Holy Land and to look with one’s 
own eyes upon the scenes of the various events 
which the Bible records. The impressions of such 
a visit will never be lost. Ever after as one reads 
the Scriptures and comes upon the names of places 
with which Scripture characters and events are 
associated, or references to customs which are dif- 
216 


VISITING LANDS OF THE BIBLE 


217 


ferent from our own, one will be able easily and 
clearly to reproduce the settings of the scenes and 
incidents to which allusions are made. 

This sense of the reality of the Bible, of its 
narrations and references derived from observa- 
tions in the Holy Land, is of indescribable advan- 
tage. It can hardly fail to render the Bible a new 
book to one, or to impart an added glow to one’s 
description of Scripture events and scenes to 
others, and to awaken a corresponding interest in 
their minds. To the preacher, or Bible-class 
teacher, or to any student of the sacred Word, a 
visit to the Holy Land is peculiarly valuable. The 
uses which he may make of it for his own and 
others’ profit, are manifold. Such a visit cannot 
fail to deepen his own interest in that Book which 
is, or should be, his main text-book. Not only 
will his own reading and study of it be more ef- 
fective — he can render it much more attractive 
to others. It is not necessary to make constant and 
wearisome reference to “ when I was abroad,” but 
the knowledge and impressions gained will have 
become so a part of himself, and will so enter into 
the warp and woof of his presentations of Scripture 
themes, as, without personal reference, to impart 
a sense of freshness and of authority to what he 
says. Special lectures upon the Holy Land are 
well in their place, if not overdone, but in all 
incidental allusions to it, there will be the added 


218 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


interest which results from a knowledge that the 
speaker is bearing personal testimony to the reality 
and certainty of what is being described. Hence 
it would well repay every student of the Bible, if 
he could make a pilgrimage to the land of the 
Bible. His Bible work would ever after be the 
gainer. Especially would it be of value to every 
student of divinity if he could make such a trip 
leisurely, and with painstaking carefulness, as a 
post-graduate course before entering upon the ac- 
tive ministry, or as soon thereafter as possible. 
That he would thus be able more effectively to 
popularize the Bible in the minds of the people 

— which is one of the preeminent needs in con- 
gregations to-day — goes without saying. 

The profound and eager interest with which a 
long anticipated and finally accomplished tour of 
the Holy Land is usually attended, is expressed in 
the following quotation from the writer’s journal 

— written on entering the harbor of Beirut : 

“ It was with emotions peculiar and indescrib- 
able that my companions and I looked for the first 
time upon the Holy Land, that land of such re- 
markable and such momentous history. These 
emotions were much greater when we were actually 
landed and began our horseback journey through 
it. We had spent months in wandering over 
Europe, searching out its attractions for the stu- 


VISITING LANDS OF THE BIBLE 


219 


dent and the pleasure-seeker. Every day had been 
filled to overflowing with enjoyment and with profit, 
the only drawback seeming to be the limit of per- 
sonal endurance with so much to excite and to 
exhaust. 

“ We had lived over in thought the history of 
the various countries through which we had passed, 
and the great events which had rendered them his- 
toric. We had viewed the ruins of former mag- 
nificence in Rome and Athens, and in places of 
lesser note; had looked through galleries of art, 
miles in extent, with acres upon acres of pictures 
in the aggregate; had seen paintings and sculptures 
by the greatest masters of the past, until we were 
literally surfeited and exhausted. We had feasted 
our eyes upon the finest, the grandest and most beau- 
tiful scenery of all Europe — the landscapes 
of England and Scotland; the picturesque views 
along the Rhine, with its numerous castles, now 
mostly in ruins, perched upon bold and seemingly 
inaccessible cliffs; the quiet beauty of the placid 
Italian lakes; the glories of an Italian sunset over 
the Mediterranean. We had reveled in two 
weeks of delight among the wild and rugged scenery 
of Switzerland, with Alps on Alps, snow-capped 
the year round, rising far toward the heavens; 
had explored miles of glaciers, and sailed over the 
charming Swiss lakes nestling among the moun- 
tains. We had enjoyed many panoramic views 


220 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


from elevated outlooks — over the famous battle- 
field of Waterloo; over cities without number from 
cathedral spires; over the beautiful Bay of Naples, 
and the surrounding country dotted with villages, 
from the summit of smoking Vesuvius. We had 
traveled by steamer and rail, by wagon and on 
horseback, over ocean and sea, and river, and moun- 
tain, and plain. All these experiences had been 
rich, suggestive, profitable in the extreme, often 
thrilling, and one might have felt abundantly re- 
paid for the time, expense, and the no little hard- 
ship of such a trip, to have turned his face home- 
ward without going beyond European limits. 

“ And yet, interesting, enjoyable, mentally en- 
riching as all this was, it was but secondary in 
our thought, in the planning and execution of our 
tour abroad. For long years the desire and the 
purpose had been cherished of visiting the land 
of the Bible, where most of its transactions took 
place; where its prophets and heroes had lived; 
where Christ Himself, greater than all, had at 
length appeared among men, had wrought His 
mighty works, had lived that wonderful, sinless 
life, and had inaugurated a work which has been 
going on, with increasing momentum, ever since, 
until now it embraces the whole earth in the scope 
of its operations, as we believe it is ultimately 
destined to bring all mankind under its sway. It 
was a desire to behold this land, to look upon the 


VISITING LANDS OF THE BIBLE 


221 


scenes which Christ had looked upon, to travel the 
paths which He had traveled, to live over in 
imagination — quickened by being upon the very 
spot where each incident had occurred — the events 
which the sacred Word records, which more than 
all else prompted the long and, in some respects, 
hazardous journey. 

“ How that at length the time for the realiza- 
tion of these long-cherished hopes was drawing 
near, and as, early on that last morning of the slow 
and tedious voyage on the Mediterranean, we 
caught our first glimpse of the Lebanon Mountains 
— which extend for miles along the coast of an- 
cient Syria — can it be wondered at that it was 
with emotions deep and heartfelt, that, straining 
our eyes through the twilight, we gazed long and 
eagerly on the land we were approaching? Upon 
deck all was quiet about us, and we sat there for 
some time, each occupied with his own reflections. 
At length my two companions and myself, all 
clergymen, began to talk over the history of this 
remarkable country, and to refresh our minds in 
regard to many things which it is important to re- 
member in making a tour such as the one pro- 
posed.” 

Most travelers, probably, are disappointed in this 
country, from the general desolation which now 
prevails, the squalor of the people, the lack of many 
grand and interesting ruins, or of magnificent 


222 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


scenery such as that for instance, in Switzerland; 
but if forewarned, they are not likely to indulge 
in undue expectations. Palestine is by no means 
destitute of fine scenery, although many other 
lands are more attractive in this respect. It has 
some grand ruins to be sure, yet aside from the 
gigantic ruins of Baalbek in Syria, at the north of 
Palestine proper, and some old remains of the sub- 
structions of the temple at Jerusalem, there is little 
of special interest of this character to be found. 

But the great and crowning attraction, after all, 
in a visit to the Holy Land, is in the things which 
are not seen. It is in the associations connected 
with what are called sacred localities. While 
many of the places are wonderfully interesting in 
themselves, it is the association of these places with 
Scripture characters and events, and especially with 
our Lord Himself, which constitutes the real charm 
of travel in that land. 

Before reaching Palestine, the traveler will have 
already had a taste of the satisfaction to be ex- 
perienced from beholding places and lands outside 
of it which are referred to in the Scriptures. It 
is a memorable experience, for instance, when, for 
the first time, he comes into the region of Paul’s 
journeys, whose track he will afterward frequently 
cross ; at Rome where he was imprisoned, wrote 
several of his most spiritual epistles, was tried, per- 


VISITING LANDS OF THE BIBLE 223 

haps finally executed; at the Puteoli mole, now 
mostly, though not altogether, in ruins, where he 
landed after the voyage from Malta on his way 
to Pome. He looked upon the same natural scenes 
which the traveler now beholds, the same beautiful 
bay of Naples, the same smoking Vesuvius, the 
same Pompeii, whose remains, after being long 
buried in volcanic ashes, are now quite largely un- 
covered. How vivid and interesting the 27th 
chapter of Acts, describing Paul’s voyage and ship- 
wreck becomes, as one sails over nearly the same 
course! During those terrible days of darkness 
and danger, the apostle was the most calm and 
hopeful of all on board, cheering them all, because 
of his sense of the presence of his unseen Lord. 
In sailing along the southern coast of Crete, the 
incidents connected with the earlier part of that 
voyage are brought vividly to mind. A day spent 
among the ruins of the once famous Ephesus, in 
which marble predominates, will prove to be of 
profoundest interest. The location of the open 
theater, which was scooped out of a hillside, and 
whose rising tiers of seats were capable of ac- 
commodating as many people as, or more than, our 
modern colosseums, is still plainly visible. The 
uproar set in motion by the silversmiths because 
Paul’s teachings had begun seriously to effect 
their trade, is made very real as one reads the ac- 
count in Acts xix afresh. Here, too, in Ephesus, 


224 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


no doubt John the beloved disciple once lived, per- 
haps died. The island of Patmos to which he was 
banished, from which he was directed to send letters 
to the seven churches of Asia, and where he had the 
visions which resulted in the book of Revelation, is 
not far away. 

Athens, too, that center of Greek culture in 
Paul’s day, he visited, and his spirit was deeply 
exercised w T ithin him as he saw the city full of 
idols, (Acts xvii:15, 16). Here on the Areopagus, 
or Mars Hill, (verses 22 and If), he delivered that 
memorable discourse on the fatherhood of God and 
the brotherhood of man, and here it will be a pe- 
culiar satisfaction to read again that address as 
reported in the Book of Acts. In visiting Tarsus, 
Paul’s native place, “ no mean city ” in his time, 
(Acts xxi:39), although far from it now, one will 
look upon the same mountains to the northward 
which were familiar t6 him in his boyhood, and 
again later when for a season he preached in that 
region, perhaps making the home of his parents his 
headquarters. Here he was sought by Barnabas 
and prevailed upon to accompany him to Antioch, 
(Acts xi:25, 26). 

But soul-stirring as the traveler finds it to be 
frequently to cross the track of the apostle, helping 
to awaken in his mind a new and abiding interest 
in him and his missionary journeys, and a sense of 


VISITING LANDS OF THE BIBLE 


225 


the reality of the narrative of him which is given 
in the Book of Acts such as could never be gained 
otherwise, even more interesting and stirring will 
it he when at length he comes upon the track of 
our Lord Himself. When, for instance, in jour- 
neying through the country from north to south, 
he rides through the regions of Caesarea Philippi 
— where Christ had made the memorable acknowl- 
edgment of His divine character, and reads anew 
the account of the incident in Matt. xvi:13-20, — 
it will he a season of thrilling interest to him. 
And during the entire journey through the Holy 
Land there will he similar and constant reminders 
of the Hew Testament narrative, and of Old Tes- 
tament incidents as well. Some custom of the peo- 
ple which is observed, will illumine a passage not 
altogether clear before. Bedouin tents in the 
vicinity of Lake Huleh and on the Esdraelon plain, 
are still the faithful reproductions of the outward 
life of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Many of these 
customs are novel enough to American eyes. 

When Bishop J. H. Vincent was in Palestine, 
he says he “ saw Abraham at his tent door ; Be- 
becca veiling herself at the approach of the stran- 
ger; the long caravan of camels and Midianites on 
their way toward the south. I saw the roof,” he 
continues, “ which might easily have been broken 
up ; the grass on the housetops ; the sparrow making 


226 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


a nest for herself in the synagogue of Jerusalem. 
I saw the elders in the gates; David the shepherd, 
with his sheep on the hillside; the Jewish mother 
teaching Timothy the words of the old Book, in 
the old city on the hill. Verily it is the old land; 
it is the old life; it is the memorial presentation 
in concrete form of what the Book says was true 
there thousands of years ago.” 

It is one of the charms of eastern travel that 
the framework of the life, customs, manners, even 
of the dress and speech of the people, is still sub- 
stantially the same as it was ages ago, and that 
one gains a sense of the reality and truthfulness 
of the Scripture narratives from what he sees, as 
he could in no other way. Perhaps he will some 
night pitch his tent near the waters of Merom, and 
there read over that portion of the Book of Joshua 
which relates to the conquest, which was practically 
completed by his victory over the combined kings 
of the north, (Josh. xi:7, 8), somewhere near this 
place — possibly at the very spot of his encamp- 
ment. He will be fortunate if he can spend a 
Sunday at Tiberias on the western shore of the 
Sea of Galilee. The associations gathering about 
that body of water constitute a fitting theme for 
meditation on the day of rest. On its shores many 
of the most interesting events of Christ’s ministry 
occurred. Here He taught multitudes thronging 
Him, sometimes speaking from a boat pushed out a 


VISITING LANDS OF THE BIBLE 


227 


little from the shore, as the crowds pressed Him, 
(Matt. xiii:2). On these waters the disciples 
sailed ; here Christ once calmed a storm by a word, 
(Luke viii :23, 24) ; and here, going to His im- 
periled disciples, He once walked on the water, 
(John vi:19). Here, too, on the shore, occurred 
one of the ten recorded appearances of Christ after 
the resurrection, (John xxi:l and ff). 

Going westward from Tiberias, the traveler will 
pass Mount Tabor, perhaps ride to its summit for 
a fine view over the plain of Esdraelon, long the 
gathering place of armies. Reaching Hazareth, 
which is located on a hillside, he will look upon 
the same natural scenery which, as a young man, 
Christ looked upon. Here He grew to manhood, 
and here, on one occasion, after He had entered 
upon His ministry, He preached in the synagogue. 
Crossing the Esdraelon plain to Mount Carmel 
and ascending it, the striking scene in which Eli- 
jah, single-handed, contended with the priests of 
Baal and routed them, will be reproduced in his 
imagination (I Kings xviii :20 and fi). Continuing 
his journey to the south or southeastward, he will 
come to the Hill of Samaria, once the seat of the 
capital of the northern kingdom, (I Kings xvi:23, 
24) ; then to Shechem — located between mounts 
Ebal and Gerizim — where he will be reminded 
of the reading of the blessings and the cursings 
which occurred here, (Josh, viii :30— 35). On 


228 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


Gerizim, a little remnant of Samaritans still hold 
an annual festival, as when their fathers “ wor- 
shiped in this mountain/’ (John iv:20). At 
J acob’s well, which is somewhat less than two miles 
to the eastward of Shechem, and whose genuine- 
ness is not disputed, he will naturally read the 
account of Christ’s conversation on the water of 
life which was held here with the woman of 
Samaria, (John iv). Passing the sites of Bethel 
and Ai, which suggest various Scriptural incidents, 
he will descend into the Jericho plain. What a 
multitude of associations is brought to mind in 
riding over this plain, and thinking of Joshua’s 
capture of the famous stronghold of the Canaanites 
here, (Josh, vi) ; or as he waters his horse in the 
Jordan! Joshua and his hosts had crossed this 
river on dry ground. Here John the Baptist bap- 
tized all who came to him, Jesus among them, 
(Matt. iii:5, 6, 13). The Dead Sea — the “ sea 
of salt ” — in whose waters it is impossible for one 
to sink, and around which general desolation pre- 
vails, will of course be visited. 

The ascent to Jerusalem from the Jericho plain 
is a forenoon’s ride. Christ passed over the same 
road on His last journey to the Holy City. At one 
place in the narrow and winding defile, the guide 
points out the ruins of an old khan or caravansary, 
into which he says, the good Samaritan took the 


VISITING LANDS OF THE BIBLE 


229 


wounded and half-dead man whom he came upon, 
as he was journeying from Jerusalem down to 
Jericho, (Luke x:34). You remind him that that 
was not a real occurrence, only a parable, an illus- 
tration. “ No matter,” he says, “ this is the inn 
to which he would have taken him if it had been 
a real occurrence,” and you cannot dispute him. 

Passing through Bethany on the eastern slope 
of Olivet, where Mary and Martha and Lazarus 
once lived, in whose house Jesus was a welcome 
guest, and where Lazarus was raised from the dead, 
the traveler comes to the summit of this hill or 
mountain, and gains his first view of the Holy 
City, which is located directly west of it. It is 
across the ravine of the Kidron, about three-fourths 
of a mile away, a city “ beautiful in elevation ” 
now, as it was in the time of the Psalmist. It 
was from Olivet that Jesus, beholding the city, 
wept over it, in view of its wickedness and guilt 
and its coming destruction, (Luke xix:41). It 
was from here also, a few weeks after His resur- 
rection, that He ascended. Where the Mohamme- 
dan mosque with its great black dome is now so 
conspicuous, on the east side of Jerusalem, the 
temple of Solomon and later temples once stood. 
Here in the city — so abounding in Biblical as- 
sociations from the time of David down — Christ 
taught, here He contended with the Jewish of- 
ficials, here He was put to death, and from the 


230 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


sepulcher in which He had been laid, He arose 
to the glory of His new life. Here the Pentecostal 
outpouring took place, (Acts ii), here Peter and 
John taught, (Acts iii), here Paul studied under 
Gamaliel, (Acts xxii:3), began his career as perse- 
cutor, (Acts viii:3), and on his return from his last 
missionary journey was arrested, (Acts xxi:33), 
and taken to Rome for trial before Hero, and here, 
or just outside of the city walls, Stephen was stoned 
to death, (Acts vii:59, 60), and thus became the 
first Christian martyr. 

A few miles to the south of Jerusalem is Beth- 
lehem, the city of David. It overlooks the little 
plain to the eastward where, very likely, Ruth 
gleaned, (Ruth ii:3, 4), where David tended his 
father’s sheep, (I Sam. xvi:ll), and where shep- 
herds watched their flocks by night, (Luke ii :8) . 
Here Christ was born in the manger, (Luke ii:7), 
here the wondering shepherds found Him, (Luke 
ii :15, 16), here the wise men came from the east 
to visit Him, bearing gifts, (Matt, ii :11). What 
more interesting place for the Christian to visit 
than this? From Joppa Jonah set sail on his 
memorable voyage, Jonah i:l-4), and here Peter 
had the vision which enlarged his conception of the 
scope of the gospel, (Acts x:9 and ff). . 

In the region to the north of Palestine proper, 
there are numerous places of interest. There is 


VISITING LANDS OF THE BIBLE 


231 


the little forest of cedars, a few hundred trees, 
covering perhaps a dozen acres, in the midst of 
a vast amphitheater of rock in the heart of the 
Lebanon mountains. It has been supposed that 
from this region Iliram, King of Tyre, procured 
the timber for Solomon’s temple, (I Kings v:6-10). 
The half-dozen massive columns of the gigantic 
ruins of Baalbek which still remain standing, are 
visible for miles away. In regard to the tremen- 
dous ruins themselves, men never cease to wonder. 
How such immense blocks of stone were ever cut 
out, brought here, and elevated to their position in 
the foundation walls upon which the gorgeous 
temples of Baal were reared ages ago, is a mys- 
tery which has not yet been solved. A moonlight 
view of these ruins is a scene of glory never to be 
forgotten. Damascus suggests numerous Biblical 
events down to the time of Paul, whose conversion 
occurred not far away, (Acts ix:2 and If). As 
one walks through the “ street, called Straight,” 
(Acts ix:ll), ( called so only, Mark Twain re- 
marks) a picture of oriental city life, with its laden 
camels and donkeys, its many-colored costumes, 
representing nations and tribes without number, 
will be presented. Miserable, lean, cadaverous, 
yellow dogs, so characteristic of Mohammedan 
cities, are everywhere underfoot. 

Wherever one goes, in fact, Scripture scenes and 
events are suggested. The Bible is made a real 


232 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


book. From journeying through the country, one 
gains a fund of Scripture illustrations, and a 
knowledge of the land and its appearance, its 
geography and topography, such as the most dili- 
gent study of the writings of others alone, could 
never impart. The impressions thus gained never 
fade. Especially is this true of the grand moun- 
tain views of the Holy Land — from Olivet, from 
Ebal and Gerizim, from Carmel, from Tabor, 
crowning all from Hermon, which overlooks almost 
the whole of Palestine. Through that clear at- 
mosphere everything is seen with the greatest dis- 
tinctness. Far distant objects are brought near. 

Some account of Ilermon, which is the most con- 
spicuous and beautiful mountain in all Palestine, 
and of the magnificent view from its summit, may 
afford a not inappropriate conclusion to this 
chapter. 

The location of Hermon is clearly defined in 
Scripture. It is represented as being on the north- 
east border of Palestine, over against Lebanon, 
adjoining the plateau of Bashan. It stands at the 
southern end, and is the culminating point of the 
anti-Lebanon range — the eastern of the two paral- 
lel ranges of mountains at the north of Palestine. 
It rises majestically nearly two miles above the 
Mediterranean. Its form is quite regular, and its 
summit is almost always covered with snow. It is 
to be seen distinctly from all the northern and cen- 


VISITING LANDS OF THE BIBLE 


233 


tral portion of the country, and from many places in 
the south, even from the southern shores of the 
Dead Sea, at least 150 miles distant. Indeed, so 
clear is the atmosphere that Hermon could be 
seen from all parts of the land were it not that the 
country is mountainous. It stands out distinctly in 
its solitary grandeur. This mountain was the great 
landmark of the Israelites. It was associated with 
their northern border almost as intimately as 
the sea was with the western. From whatever 
point they turned their eyes northward, Hermon 
was there terminating the view. From the plain 
along the coast, from the mountains of Samaria, 
from the valley of the Jordan, from the heights of 
Moab and Gilead, from the plateau of Bashan, that 
pale, blue, snow-capped crest formed the one fea- 
ture of the northern horizon. It is interesting to 
reflect that all those persons with whose names we 
are familiar in Biblical history from the earliest 
times, once looked upon this mountain. Abraham 
saw it, Isaac also, and Jacob; Moses, doubtless, 
from Pisgah’s lofty height; Joshua, Samuel, the 
long line of prophets ; J ohn the Baptist, Christ, and 
the apostles — Peter, Paul, and their associates. 

Scattered about in different parts of this moun- 
tain, the ruins of old pagan temples, dedicated to 
the worship of Baal and other divinities, are to 
be found — some on its sides, others on its spurs, 
some on its very summit. Another fact of interest 


234 : 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


is that the sources of the Jordan are to be traced 
to it and the hills about it. Mount Hermon is not 
a very rocky mountain, although some bold and 
majestic masses of rock appear here and there. 
The rock is a hard, gray limestone, and is full of 
fossils. The surface of the mountain, except near 
the top, is composed chiefly of smooth slopes, which 
in the springtime are clothed with verdure. Its 
summit is a plateau from which rise three low, 
rocky peaks, situated like the angles of a triangle 
and half a mile from each other. The two to 
the north are of equal height. The third is con- 
siderably lower than the other two. 

Ascending the mountain on horseback from the 
northwest, a hard and difficult climb, especially the 
latter part, of several hours, the view which bursts 
upon the traveler, as he reaches the southern sum- 
mit, is one which well repays the hard labor of 
the ascent. A magnificent panorama is spread out 
before him. He looks upon the land which has 
been the theater of the larger part of the most mo- 
mentous transactions of Bible history, the land of 
the patriarchs, the prophets, the apostles, of the 
Lord Himself, the scene of many sanguinary con- 
flicts, the land of mighty miracles, the home of the 
chosen people. After the first flush of bewilder- 
ing sensations has passed, he will naturally begin 
a more deliberate survey of the scene — perhaps 
seating himself upon one of the blocks of stone 


VISITING LANDS OF THE BIBLE 


235 


scattered around, the remnants, very likely, of 
some old temple of Baal. 

The identification of the various points of in- 
terest is accomplished without difficulty. To the 
south, or rather a little to the southwest, lies Pales- 
tine, stretching away as far as the eye can reach. 
The distance from the Sea of Galilee, nestling 
among the surrounding hills — which is perhaps 
the first place to be identified with confidence — • 
to the Mediterranean, which is visible to the south- 
west, is only 25 miles. The width of the country 
gradually increases, to its southern boundary, to 
about fifty or sixty miles. Beyond the Sea of 
Galilee, and stretching off indefinitely to the south, 
the deep depression of the Jordan — the most re- 
markable depression it is believed in the world — 
is distinctly seen. The river itself, which how- 
ever, is not seen, is one continuous rapid from 
the Lake of Galilee to the Dead Sea. The north- 
ern half of the country is very distinct. Galilee 
is at our feet, and numerous Galilean towns scat- 
tered about upon the hilltops are distinguished. 
A view of little Lake Huleh, or the Waters of 
Merom, is obstructed by the spurs rising from the 
southern foot of the mountain. To the southwest 
fifty miles distant, Mount Tabor with its dark, 
rounded crest, is plainly seen. Although but 1,843 
feet in height, it commands one of the most exten- 
sive prospects of the country, as it has also wit- 


236 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


nessed some of the bloodiest battles in the history 
of the land, on the Esdraelon plain adjacent — 
from the time when Barak, captain of the Israel- 
itish host, with the prophetess Deborah at his side, 
fought with Sisera, the captain of the host of 
Jabin, king of Canaan, more than 3,000 years 
ago, to the time when Napoleon, with 6,000 French- 
men, routed and put to flight 27,000 Turks. Be- 
yond Tabor rise the mountains of Samaria, with 
Ebal and Gerizim conspicuous. To the westward 
lies the bold and rugged ridge of Carmel, rising 
like a huge wall from the great plain at its foot. 
The tongue of land on which Tyre stands, is plainly 
outlined. Sidon is not visible, being hid from 
view by intervening mountains. The island of 
Cyprus, far out in the Mediterranean to the north- 
west, is sometimes discerned. 

The view of the mountains at the north and 
northwest is very fine. Between the Lebanon and 
the anti-Lebanon ranges there is a long, narrow 
valley, called by the Romans, Coelo-Syria. To the 
east is the plain of Damascus. The city itself 
appears like a small yellow field of irregular out- 
line in the midst of a vast area of green. The 
oasis in which it lies is in full view, and also the 
surrounding desert of yellow sand, which stretches 
away in every direction until lost in the distance. 

Off to the south and southeast is the land of 
Bash an, whose inhabitants were noted in Old Tes- 


VISITING LANDS OF THE BIBLE 237 

tament times for their great stature. It contains 
well-preserved ruins of cities, cut in the rock, which 
would rival in interest, were they more easily ac- 
cessible, the ruins of Athens and Koine. Beyond, 
some seventy miles from Hermon, are the moun- 
tains of the Hauran, a volcanic region, over which 
are scattered the ruins of a vast number of an- 
cient towns. 

Is it not worth a toilsome ascent to have such a 
view as this ? Does it not repay all the fatigues in- 
curred to realize it ? May not one well be par- 
doned for a little enthusiasm over it? Will it not 
add new interest to every reference the Bible 
makes to Hermon? Hear what Van De Velde, a 
traveler of note, says about it: — 

“ It is a magnificent view. I have traveled in 
no part of the world where I have seen such a 
variety of glorious mountain scenes within so nar- 
row a compass. Hot the luxurious Java, nor the 
richly-wooded Borneo, not the majestic Sumatra 
or Celebes, not the paradise-like Ceylon, far less 
the grand but naked mountains of South Africa, 
or the low, impenetrable woods of the West Indies, 
are to be compared with the southern projecting 
mountains of Lebanon. In yonder lands, all is 
green, or all is bare. An Indian landscape has 
something monotonous in its superabundance of 
wood or jungle, which one wishes in vain to see 
intermingled with rocky cliffs, or with towns or 


238 


SIDELIGHTS ON THE BIBLE 


villages. In the bare table-lands of Cape Colony 
the eye discovers nothing but rocky cliffs. It is 
not so, however, with the southern ranges of 
Lebanon. Here are woods and mountains, streams 
and villages, hold rocks, and green, cultivated 
fields, land and sea views. Here, in a word, you 
find all that the eye could desire to behold on 
earth. The whole of northern Canaan lies at our 
feet, the basin of the Sea of Tiberias, with the hills 
of Bara, far, far away, and all these hundreds of 
villages between the spot where we are and the 
seacoast. Half a day would not suffice for taking 
the angles of such an ocean of villages and towns, 
castles, hills, rivers and capes.” 

Hpon this mountain top, or upon one of its 
southern spurs, many believe the Transfiguration 
took place, when “ the fashion of His countenance 
was altered, and His raiment became white and 
dazzling,” (Luke ix:28-36). It seemed good, at 
any rate, to he there, and to read afresh the sacred 
narrative of that marvelous event, and to try to 
picture it before the imagination. How vividly 
must the recollection of it have been impressed 
upon the minds of the disciples who were with 
Christ — Peter, James, and John — and what an 
inspiration it must have been to them ever after, 
especially in seasons of hardship, trial, and de- 
pression ! 


VISITING LANDS OF THE BIBLE 


239 


And as to them, so there come to us all, at 
times, some royal experiences of the mountain top, 
when we are lifted into special nearness to Christ, 
and He seems transfigured before our souls. The 
remembrance of these exalted hours, these glimpses 
into, and these foretastes of, the heavenly glory, 
should cheer and inspire us in our darker hours, 
when the view is circumscribed, when clouds lower 
above us, and our way is hedged about. 

We conclude as we began, by emphasizing the 
value to the Bible student, whether preacher or 
layman, of a personal visit to the Lands of the 
Bible. As a result of such a visit, the sacred 
narrative will become more real to him than ever 
before, and he will be able to impress such a sense 
of its reality upon others as would not otherwise 
be possible. After having looked on the places 
where they occurred, incidents and events recorded 
in the Bible will be made to stand out before his 
mind with added freshness and interest. To study 
history amid the scenes in which it transpired, is 
to experience a constant surprise and delight. At 
every step the sacred story becomes more real and 
more true. Everywhere the landscape fits the nar- 
rative, and one is enabled to gather illustrations of 
the sacred writings from what one sees on every 
hand, above all from pictures of ancient times 
which are still preserved in the daily life of the 
people. 



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